Windows Audit Policy Best Practices and Guidelines

Windows Audit Policy Best Practices

Below are some of our tips for your Windows audit policy:

1. Use the Advanced Audit Policy Configuration where possible

It’s important to note that the advanced policies do not override the basic policies, but rather complement them. That said, it is not a good idea to use both the basic audit policy settings and the advanced audit policy settings simultaneously, as this can cause conflicts. Configuring audit policies with the Advanced Audit Policy Configuration provides more control and prevents overwhelming log volumes.

2. Determine what types of events you want to audit

Before making any changes, it is important to establish the types of events you want to audit and set the appropriate settings for each one. It is also important to have a plan for collecting, storing, and analyzing the audit data, as simply accumulating large amounts of data without a plan will stifle your ability to derive meaningful insights from the data.

Below are the most notable types of events you can audit in your Windows Server environment:

• Account Logon: Audit Credential Validation for success and failure
• Account Management: Audit Computer Account Management, Audit Other Account Management Events, Audit Security Group Management, and Audit User Account Management for success and failure
• DS Access (Directory Service Access): Audit Directory Service Access and Audit Directory Service Changes for success and failure on domain controllers (DCs)
• Logon/Logoff: Audit Account Lockout, Audit Logoff, Audit Logon, and Audit Special Logon for success and failure
• Object Access: Enable these settings selectively to avoid generating a large volume of entries in Security logs
• Policy Change: Audit Audit Policy Change and Audit Authentication Policy Change for success and failure
• Privilege Use: Enable these settings selectively to avoid generating a large volume of entries in Security logs
• Process Tracking: Audit Process Creation, but enable selectively due to potential high volume of entries in Security logs
• System: Audit Security State Change, Audit Other System Events, and Audit System Integrity for success and failure.

3. Specify the max size of the audit log

You should specify the maximum size and other attributes of the Security log using the Event Logging policy settings. This is important because the amount of storage space allocated to storing the audit data can quickly fill up.

4. Conduct performance tests

It is important to keep in mind that changing audit settings can impact computer performance. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out performance tests before implementing new audit settings in a production environment. If you wish to audit directory service access or object access, you can configure the Audit directory service access and Audit object access policy settings.

5. Opt Important Windows Auditing Settings

Below are the recommended Windows auditing settings you should opt:

• Account Logon: Audit Credential Validation for success and failure
• Account Management: Audit Computer Account Management, Audit Other Account Management Events, Audit Security Group Management, and Audit User Account Management for success and failure
• DS Access (Directory Service Access): Audit Directory Service Access and Audit Directory Service Changes for success and failure on domain controllers (DCs)
• Logon/Logoff: Audit Account Lockout, Audit Logoff, Audit Logon, and Audit Special Logon for success and failure
• Object Access: Enable these settings selectively to avoid generating a large volume of entries in Security logs
• Policy Change: Audit Audit Policy Change and Audit Authentication Policy Change for success and failure
• Privilege Use: Enable these settings selectively to avoid generating a large volume of entries in Security logs
• Process Tracking: Audit Process Creation, but enable selectively due to potential high volume of entries in Security logs
• System: Audit Security State Change, Audit Other System Events, and Audit System Integrity for success and failure.

How Lepide Auditor Helps Audit Windows

Lepide Auditor helps you to establish and enforce a Windows audit policy by providing continuous monitoring, alerting, and reporting on critical activities within your Windows environment. This in turn will lead to enhanced security, help to satisfy compliance requirements, and improve operational efficiency. Below are some of the most notable ways that our solution can help to secure your Windows Server environment.

Auditing configuration changes: Our solution can track changes made to Active Directory, such as modifications to user accounts, groups, permissions, and organizational units. It also provides real-time alerts on critical changes and customized reports which can be generated at the click of a mouse.

Login and account lockout monitoring: The Lepide software can track user login activities, including successful and failed login attempts. It can also monitor account lockouts, helping administrators detect potentially malicious login activities and troubleshoot issues with locked accounts.

Audit Group Policy changes: Our solution can monitor and audit changes to Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in your Windows environment. It ensures that any modifications to GPOs are logged, allowing administrators to respond to unauthorized policy changes in a timely manner.

OU change auditing: Organizational Units (OUs) are used to structure and manage Active Directory objects. The Lepide software can monitor changes to OUs, including additions, deletions, and modifications.

Group membership change auditing: Detecting changes to group memberships is important for security and access control. Our solution can track additions or removals of users or groups from security or distribution groups, ensuring that only authorized access is granted.

DNS change auditing: DNS plays a vital role in network connectivity and security. Our solution can track changes to DNS records, such as additions, deletions, or modifications. This enables organizations to identify any unauthorized changes and ensure the integrity of DNS configurations.

Privileged user monitoring: Privileged users have elevated access and permissions within the IT infrastructure. Our solution can audit actions performed by privileged users, thus helping to prevent insider threats and unauthorized access to sensitive data or systems.

If you’d like to see how Lepide can help to secure your Windows Server environment, schedule a demo with one of our engineers.