In today's digital landscape, ensuring the security of our systems and networks is of utmost importance. One crucial aspect of maintaining a secure environment is monitoring security events. By monitoring these events, we can detect and respond to potential threats in a timely manner, minimizing the impact of security breaches.

In the Windows environment, monitoring security events can be achieved through various tools and techniques. Windows provides a built-in event logging system, known as the Windows Event Log, which records a wide range of events related to system, application, and security activities. These logs serve as a valuable source of information for monitoring and analyzing security events.

To align the topic of monitoring security events with the Windows environment, we will explore the different types of security events that can be monitored using the Windows Event Log. We will also discuss how to configure the Event Log to capture these events and demonstrate practical examples of monitoring security events using both command-line tools and PowerShell scripts.

Examples:

1. Monitoring Failed Login Attempts:

• Command-line: Use the "Event Viewer" tool to navigate to the "Security" log and filter for event ID 4625, which indicates a failed login attempt. Analyze the log entries to identify potential unauthorized access attempts.


• PowerShell: Utilize the "Get-WinEvent" cmdlet with appropriate filters to retrieve failed login events from the Security log. Perform further analysis or send notifications based on the retrieved events.

2. Monitoring Account Lockouts:

• Command-line: Use the "Event Viewer" or the "net accounts" command to check for event ID 4740, which signifies an account lockout. Investigate the lockout events to identify the source of the lockouts and take necessary actions.


• PowerShell: Employ the "Get-WinEvent" cmdlet to retrieve account lockout events from the Security log. Extract relevant information like the locked-out account name, source IP address, and lockout time for further analysis or automated responses.