What can result from unsynchronized clocks on network devices?

• A. Inaccurate timestamps that make it difficult to correlate log files.
• B. Reduced network throughput.
• C. Improved event correlation.
• D. Faster incident response.

Answer: (A)

When clocks on different devices aren’t in sync, each device generates logs with its own time reference. That means the timestamps you see in firewall logs, server logs, IDS alerts, and SIEM entries may not line up with each other. Security investigations rely on a coherent timeline to piece together what happened and when, so mismatched times make it hard to correlate events across systems, identify the sequence of actions, and establish a clear incident window. This is exactly why unsynchronized clocks lead to inaccurate timestamps that hinder log correlation.

The other outcomes don’t arise from clock differences. Throughput is determined by capacity and congestion, not by time stamps. If clocks were synchronized, event correlation would improve, not worsen. And incident response would become faster with synchronized timing, because responders can rely on a consistent timeline rather than spending extra effort reconciling inconsistent logs.