Key Windows Event IDs for Cybersecurity Monitoring
Key Windows Event IDs for Cybersecurity Monitoring
Proactive monitoring of critical Windows Event IDs is essential for identifying security incidents, analyzing system behavior, and mitigating threats. Below is a detailed list of key Event IDs and their significance in cybersecurity.
1. Event ID 4624: Successful Logon
Description: Indicates a successful user authentication.
Details: Logged whenever a user logs in, whether interactively (via console, RDP) or non-interactively (network access, scheduled tasks).
Significance: Helps analysts track who accessed a system and when, enabling detection of unauthorized logins or compromised accounts.
Example: Multiple logins to a critical server from unusual locations may indicate unauthorized access.
2. Event ID 4625: Failed Logon Attempt
Description: Represents a failed attempt to log into a system.
Details: Includes details like the username, source IP address, and failure reason (e.g., incorrect password, locked account).
Significance: Frequent failed logins can signal brute-force attacks or unauthorized account usage.
Example: Repeated failed attempts from a single IP address targeting multiple accounts may indicate a credential stuffing attack.
3. Event ID 4634: Logoff
Description: Logs when a user logs off from a session.
Details: Indicates the end of an interactive or remote session, helping analysts determine session duration.
Significance: Enables tracking of user activity patterns and identifying potential anomalies like abrupt logoffs after privilege escalation.
Example: Frequent logoffs followed by immediate relogins could signal an attacker testing account access.
4. Event ID 4688: Process Creation
Description: Logs the creation of a new process on a system.
Details: Includes process names, parent processes, and user accounts associated with the action.
Significance: Critical for detecting suspicious processes, malware execution, or unauthorized scripts running on a system.
Example: Detecting the execution of
powershell.exewith unusual arguments can signify an attack using PowerShell commands.
5. Event ID 4697: Service Installation
Description: Indicates that a new service has been installed.
Details: Logs the service name, account under which it was created, and associated executable path.
Significance: Useful for identifying unauthorized or malicious services, which attackers might use as backdoors.
Example: An unknown service appearing on a critical system may signify an attacker’s persistence mechanism.
6. Event ID 4720: New User Account Creation
Description: Logs the creation of a new user account in Active Directory or on a local system.
Details: Includes the username, creator account, and system where the action occurred.
Significance: Analysts should validate these events to prevent attackers from creating accounts to establish persistence.
Example: A new account created by an administrative account at an unusual time may indicate compromise.
7. Event ID 4740: Account Lockout
Description: Indicates that a user account has been locked out due to multiple failed login attempts.
Details: Provides details about the account and system involved in the lockout.
Significance: Frequent account lockouts could be caused by brute-force attacks or misconfigured applications.
Example: A user’s account locking repeatedly within a short time frame may indicate an ongoing attack.
8. Event ID 4769: Kerberos Service Ticket Request
Description: Logs requests for Kerberos service tickets used for accessing resources in a domain.
Details: Contains details like the service name and user account requesting the ticket.
Significance: Can help detect Pass-the-Ticket or other Kerberos-based attacks.
Example: A sudden surge in ticket requests from a single account might indicate lateral movement by an attacker.
9. Event ID 4776: Credential Validation
Description: Logs the process of validating credentials against a domain controller.
Details: Includes success or failure information for authentication attempts.
Significance: Repeated failures can suggest password-spraying attacks or attempts to use compromised credentials.
Example: Observing failed credential validation from multiple systems in a short time window may point to a coordinated attack.
10. Event ID 5140: Network Share Access
Description: Tracks access to shared folders and files on the network.
Details: Logs the user account, accessed share, and associated system.
Significance: Identifies potential lateral movement or data exfiltration activities.
Example: Unusual access patterns, such as a low-privilege account accessing sensitive folders, might signal malicious activity.
Practical Tips for Monitoring
Set Alerts: Configure SIEM tools to generate alerts for high-risk events like multiple 4625 or 4740 events.
Correlate Events: Combine logs from multiple sources to identify attack patterns (e.g., 4625 followed by 4624 and 4688 could indicate a successful brute-force attack leading to malware execution).
Baseline Activity: Establish normal user and system behavior to identify deviations effectively.
Investigate Anomalies: Any unexpected access, service installation, or account creation should be immediately reviewed.
Conclusion
Monitoring these Event IDs provides deep visibility into system and network activity, helping analysts detect unauthorized access, privilege escalation, malware, and lateral movement within the environment. Regular log reviews and automated analysis are critical for maintaining a robust security posture.
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