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Vol. 1 · Ed. 2026
CyberGlossary
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Entry № 1371

Windows Event Log Analysis

Qu'est-ce que Windows Event Log Analysis ?

Windows Event Log AnalysisThe DFIR practice of parsing, correlating, and interpreting Windows Event Log (EVTX) records — Security, System, Application, and PowerShell logs — to reconstruct user activity, authentication events, and adversary techniques.

Windows Event Log analysis is one of the foundational DFIR skills on Windows endpoints and Active Directory servers. The Windows Event Log subsystem stores records in the binary EVTX format under `%SystemRoot%\System32\winevt\Logs\`, with each provider writing into channels such as `Security`, `System`, `Application`, `Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational`, `Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational`, and dozens more. High-value event IDs include 4624 (logon), 4625 (failed logon), 4672 (special privileges assigned), 4688 (process creation), 4698 (scheduled task created), 4720 (account created), 4768/4769 (Kerberos TGT/TGS), 4776 (NTLM auth), 7045 (service install), 1102 (audit log cleared), and Sysmon 1/3/7/8/10/11/22. Practical analysis tools include Event Viewer, `wevtutil`, EZ Tools' EvtxECmd (Eric Zimmerman), Chainsaw, Hayabusa, Velociraptor, plus SIEM ingestion (Splunk, Elastic, Sentinel). Hardening prerequisites — increasing log size, enabling Process Creation auditing with command-line, deploying Sysmon, and enabling PowerShell Script Block Logging (4104) — are essential because Windows ships with most useful audits off by default.

● Exemples

  1. 01

    An IR analyst pulls 4624 Type 3 events with workstation names matching the suspect host to reconstruct lateral movement from a compromised endpoint.

  2. 02

    Hayabusa runs Sigma rules against a folder of EVTX exports and surfaces 4688 events showing `whoami /all` and `nltest /dclist` enumeration shortly before privilege escalation.

● Questions fréquentes

Qu'est-ce que Windows Event Log Analysis ?

The DFIR practice of parsing, correlating, and interpreting Windows Event Log (EVTX) records — Security, System, Application, and PowerShell logs — to reconstruct user activity, authentication events, and adversary techniques. Cette notion relève de la catégorie Forensique et réponse en cybersécurité.

Que signifie Windows Event Log Analysis ?

The DFIR practice of parsing, correlating, and interpreting Windows Event Log (EVTX) records — Security, System, Application, and PowerShell logs — to reconstruct user activity, authentication events, and adversary techniques.

Comment fonctionne Windows Event Log Analysis ?

Windows Event Log analysis is one of the foundational DFIR skills on Windows endpoints and Active Directory servers. The Windows Event Log subsystem stores records in the binary EVTX format under `%SystemRoot%\System32\winevt\Logs\`, with each provider writing into channels such as `Security`, `System`, `Application`, `Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational`, `Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational`, and dozens more. High-value event IDs include 4624 (logon), 4625 (failed logon), 4672 (special privileges assigned), 4688 (process creation), 4698 (scheduled task created), 4720 (account created), 4768/4769 (Kerberos TGT/TGS), 4776 (NTLM auth), 7045 (service install), 1102 (audit log cleared), and Sysmon 1/3/7/8/10/11/22. Practical analysis tools include Event Viewer, `wevtutil`, EZ Tools' EvtxECmd (Eric Zimmerman), Chainsaw, Hayabusa, Velociraptor, plus SIEM ingestion (Splunk, Elastic, Sentinel). Hardening prerequisites — increasing log size, enabling Process Creation auditing with command-line, deploying Sysmon, and enabling PowerShell Script Block Logging (4104) — are essential because Windows ships with most useful audits off by default.

Comment se défendre contre Windows Event Log Analysis ?

Les défenses contre Windows Event Log Analysis combinent habituellement des contrôles techniques et des pratiques opérationnelles, comme détaillé dans la définition ci-dessus.

Quels sont les autres noms de Windows Event Log Analysis ?

Noms alternatifs courants : EVTX analysis, Security log analysis.

● Termes liés

● Voir aussi