By skyforbes One of the most valuable sources of data in cybersecurity investigations is Windows Event Logs. From login attempts to application errors, service startups to security breaches, these logs contain critical information about what has happened on a system.
In this article, we will explore how to perform forensic analysis using Windows Event Logs, which log types are most important, and provide some practical examples.
🔹 What Are Windows Event Logs?
Windows operating systems generate event logs to monitor system, user, and application activities. These logs are crucial for detecting security incidents and tracing attacks.
Main log categories:
- Application Log: Events related to applications and software.
- System Log: Events related to operating system components and services.
- Security Log: Security-related events such as logins, privilege changes, and resource access.
- Setup Log: Events related to installations and updates.
- Forwarded Events: Logs collected from other systems centrally.
🔹 Critical Event IDs for Forensic Analysis
Some Event IDs are especially important for forensic work:
- 4624: Successful logon
- 4625: Failed logon attempt
- 4634: Logoff