Introduction to Windows Event Monitoring: Key Event IDs for Security
In today’s digital landscape, maintaining a secure IT environment is paramount for organizations of all sizes. Windows Event Logs serve as a critical source of information for detecting, investigating, and responding to security incidents. These logs provide detailed insights into activities occurring within your systems, helping security teams identify anomalies, unauthorized access, and potential threats.
Monitoring specific Windows Event IDs is an effective way to streamline your security operations. By focusing on key events such as failed login attempts, account changes, privileged account usage, and unusual network connections, you can enhance your ability to detect and respond to malicious activities before they escalate.
This blog highlights a curated list of essential Windows Event IDs that every security team should monitor. From user logon patterns to registry changes, file access, and network activity, these events provide a comprehensive overview of activities that could indicate a security breach or policy violation. Whether you’re setting up a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system or manually reviewing logs, this guide will help you prioritize what to watch for, ensuring you stay ahead of potential threats.
Dive in to explore these critical event IDs, understand their significance, and learn how to leverage them for robust security monitoring.
Category | Description | Event ID(s) |
---|---|---|
Failed Login Attempts | Failed user logon attempts | 4625 |
Account Lockouts | Account lockout events | 4740 |
Successful Login Outside Hours | Logon events outside business hours | 4624 |
New User Creation | New user account creation | 4720 |
Privileged Account Usage | Use of privileged accounts | 4672 |
User Account Changes | Modifications to user accounts | 4722 , 4723 , 4724 , 4725 , 4726 |
Logon from Unusual Locations | Geolocated anomalous logon events | 4624 |
Password Changes | Password change attempts and resets | 4723 , 4724 |
Group Membership Changes | Group membership modifications | 4727 , 4731 , 4735 , 4737 |
Suspicious Logon Patterns | Anomalous logon patterns | 4624 |
Excessive Logon Failures | Repeated failed logon attempts | 4625 |
Disabled Account Activity | Activity on disabled accounts | 4725 |
Dormant Account Usage | Rarely used accounts being accessed | 4624 |
Service Account Activity | Service account logons and privileges | 4624 , 4672 |
RDP Access Monitoring | RDP-specific logon events | 4624 |
Lateral Movement Detection | Network logons indicative of lateral movement | 4648 |
File and Folder Access | Access to files and folders | 4663 |
Unauthorised File Sharing | File sharing without authorization | 5140 , 5145 |
Registry Changes | Registry modifications | 4657 |
Application Installation/Removal | Software installation or removal | 11707 , 1033 |
USB Device Usage | Usage of USB devices | 20001 , 20003 |
Windows Firewall Changes | Firewall rule changes | 4946 , 4947 , 4950 , 4951 |
Scheduled Task Creation | Creation of scheduled tasks | 4698 |
Process Execution Monitoring | Monitoring process creation | 4688 |
System Restart/Shutdown | System restart or shutdown events | 6005 , 6006 , 1074 |
Event Log Clearing | Clearing of event logs | 1102 |
Malware Execution/Indicators | Indicators of malware execution | 4688 , 1116 |
Active Directory Changes | Changes to Active Directory objects | 5136 , 5141 |
Shadow Copy Deletion | Shadow copy deletion events | 524 |
Network Configuration Changes | Changes to network settings | 4254 , 4255 , 10400 |
Suspicious Script Execution | Execution of scripts with interpreters | 4688 |
Service Installation/Modification | Service installation or modification | 4697 |
Clearing of Audit Logs | Audit log clearing | 1102 |
Software Restriction Violation | Software restriction policy violations | 865 |
Excessive Account Enumeration | Repeated account enumeration attempts | 4625 , 4776 |
Attempt to Access Sensitive Files | Attempts to access sensitive files | 4663 |
Unusual Process Injection | Process injection detected | 4688 |
Driver Installation | Installation of drivers | 7045 |
Scheduled Task Modification | Changes to scheduled tasks | 4699 |
Unauthorized GPO Changes | Unauthorized Group Policy Object changes | 5136 |
Suspicious PowerShell Activity | Suspicious PowerShell commands executed | 4104 |
Unusual Network Connections | Anomalous network traffic patterns | 5156 |
Unauthorized Shared File Access | Unpermitted access to shared files | 5145 |
DNS Query for Malicious Domains | Queries to malicious domains | 5158 |
LDAP Search Abuse | Suspicious LDAP search queries | 4662 |
Process Termination Monitoring | Monitoring terminated processes | 4689 |
Failed Service Start Attempts | Failed attempts to start services | 7041 |
Audit Policy Changes | Changes to audit policies | 4719 , 1102 |
Time Change Monitoring | Monitoring system time changes | 4616 , 520 |
Monitoring Windows Event IDs is an important part of keeping your systems secure. By focusing on key events, you can quickly spot unusual activity, respond to threats, and protect your organization. Regularly checking these logs helps you stay prepared and keep your systems safe.
Happy Hacking