What does this research mean for the field?

Effective investigation of Windows failed sign-in logs requires configuring specific advanced audit policy subcategories, designing adequate security log capacity, and utilizing tools like Get-WinEvent for extraction. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.METHODOLOGICAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

Provide practical guidance for configuring Windows audit policies, planning Security log capacity, and analyzing authentication failure logs such as Event 4625.

August 31, 2026Open Access

Windows Security Audit Policy and Event Log Investigation in Practice — Becoming an IT Team That Can Read Event 4625 (archived 2026-08-30)

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Provide practical guidance for configuring Windows audit policies, planning Security log capacity, and analyzing authentication failure logs such as Event 4625.
Evaluated configuration interactions between basic audit policies and advanced audit policy subcategories.
Analyzed diagnostic structures of authentication and process creation logs, focusing on event IDs 4624, 4625, and 4688.
Demonstrated programmatic Security log extraction and filtering workflows using PowerShell's Get-WinEvent.
Identified critical baseline subcategories required to ensure visibility into logon activity without creating excessive log noise.
Established systematic procedures for decoding failure reason codes and account artifacts embedded in Event 4625 records.
Outlined capacity design rules to prevent premature log rollover during elevated sign-in failure events.

Implication

Technical guide demonstrates effective Windows security audit policy configuration and logon failure analysis, highlighting standardized log extraction and capacity planning.

Abstract

A practical guide for answering "please look into the failed sign-in logs." It covers the relationship between basic and advanced audit policy, the subcategories you should enable at minimum, how to read event IDs 4624/4625/4688, Security log capacity design, and extraction with Get-WinEvent. Archived version of https://comcomponent.com/en/blog/windows-security-audit-policy-guide/, as published on 2026-08-30. The live article is maintained and may change after this date. First published 2026-08-01.

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Cite This Study

Go Komura (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a95427bf20e493292a74c97 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22170837

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Implication

Technical guide demonstrates effective Windows security audit policy configuration and logon failure analysis, highlighting standardized log extraction and capacity planning.

Windows Security Audit Policy and Event Log Investigation in Practice — Becoming an IT Team That Can Read Event 4625 (archived 2026-08-30)

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Windows Security Audit Policy and Event Log Investigation in Practice — Becoming an IT Team That Can Read Event 4625 (archived 2026-08-30)

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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