Active Directory Monitoring Tools For Threat Detection

Detect security risks, suspicious behaviour, and unauthorised changes across Domain Controllers, Windows servers, and Windows endpoints with InfraSOS alerting.

Monitor, Audit, & Secure your AD

Prevent the predictable. Detect the impossible.

Active Directory Monitoring Tools & Alerting

Active Directory is the heart of your identity infrastructure. If it’s compromised, attackers gain full control of your environment.

InfraSOS provides near real-time Active Directory monitoring by analysing Windows Event Logs across:

Domain Controllers
Windows member servers
Windows desktops

With InfraSOS, security and IT teams can detect identity threats early, respond faster, and maintain visibility into critical directory activity.

InfraSOS Active Directory Monitoring Software

InfraSOS is a purpose-built Active Directory monitoring software designed for security visibility, not just log collection.

Core capabilities include:

Event-ID based monitoring
Monitor any Windows Event ID across DCs, servers, and any Windows OS endpoint.
Near Real-time alerting
Receive alerts the moment suspicious or critical events are detected.
Custom alert profiles
Define alerts based on:
- Event IDs
- Event attributes (from XML fields)
- Target systems (DCs, servers, desktops)
- Target specific users or groups.
Identity-focused monitoring
Built specifically for Active Directory and identity security use cases.

Try our Active Directory Monitoring Tools

Create unlimited AD alerts based on any Active Directory activity.

Detect Active Directory Identity Threats Early.

Identity Threat Detection Tools

Most breaches start with identity abuse, not malware.

InfraSOS enables identity threat detection by monitoring for high-risk Active Directory activity such as:

Suspicious logon patterns
Identify abnormal spikes or unusual change behaviour
Account lockouts and brute-force indicators
Privileged group membership changes
New account creation on domain controllers
GPO and policy changes
Security log tampering

By alerting on detections, InfraSOS helps teams detect threats before attackers escalate.

Advanced AD Alerting with Event Attribute Filtering

InfraSOS goes beyond basic Active Directory Event ID matching.

Alerts can be triggered using filters on Event XML metadata, such as:

Target user
Computer name
Object name
Logon type
Process or service name
And more..

This allows highly specific alerts, reducing noise and focusing only on events that matter.

Alert Filter Example Trigger an alert only when a specific admin account logs on to a production server outside of business hours.

Active Directory Security Monitoring Without SIEM Complexity

Traditional SIEM platforms are expensive, complex, and noisy.

InfraSOS provides focused Active Directory security monitoring without requiring:

SIEM rule authoring
Complex log pipelines
Heavy infrastructure overhead

You choose what matters, define the Event IDs, and receive actionable alerts. Perform regular Active Directory security assessments to check for mis-configured domain controllers.

Active Directory Auditing with Event ID Visibility

InfraSOS also supports Active Directory auditing & AD reporting by providing visibility into security-relevant events across your environment.

Use InfraSOS to audit:

User and computer account changes
Group membership modifications
Authentication and authorisation activity
Security policy changes
Administrative actions

This allows you to maintain an audit trail of identity activity for security reviews, investigations, and compliance discussions.

Windows Event Log Monitoring for AD Environments

InfraSOS performs Windows Event Log monitoring specifically optimised for identity systems.

Supported monitoring scope includes:

Domain Controllers
Windows Servers
Windows Workstations

All alerts are driven directly from native Windows Event Logs, ensuring accuracy and compatibility with Microsoft environments.

Why Choose InfraSOS for AD Monitoring?

InfraSOS is designed for organisations that want clarity and control over Active Directory activity.

Key advantages:

Built specifically for Active Directory monitoring
No reliance on generic SIEM platforms
Near Real-time alerting with minimal noise
Customisable Event-ID driven rules
Designed for security and IT operations teams
Designed for MSPs who manage multiple client environments
Supports monitoring & alerting for on-premises and hybrid AD environments, Windows server & Azure AD/Entra ID & Office 365 monitoring.

Insider threat defense: Simplified.

Insider threats are silent. We make them visible.

Stop the breach before it leaves the building.

Who Uses InfraSOS Active Directory Monitoring?

InfraSOS is ideal for:

IT security teams monitoring identity risks
IT infrastructure teams protecting on-premises Active Directory
Hybrid AD environments with Windows servers
MSPs and service providers managing multiple domains for multiple clients
Compliance driven organisations requiring AD auditing visibility

Active Directory Monitoring Use Cases & Alert Examples

The table below shows common real-world Active Directory security alerts that organisations monitor using InfraSOS.

Use Case	What’s Being Detected	Why It Matters	Typical Event Types
Brute Force Login Attempts	Multiple failed authentication attempts against a user or system within a short period	Early indicator of password spraying or credential-stuffing attacks	Failed logon events, account lockouts
Suspicious Logon Activity	Logons outside business hours or from unexpected systems	Can indicate compromised credentials or lateral movement	Successful logons, logon type changes
Account Lockout Alerts	User accounts repeatedly locked out	Helps identify brute force attacks or misconfigured applications	Account lockout events
Privileged Group Membership Changes	Users added or removed from highly privileged AD groups	One of the most critical indicators of privilege escalation	Group membership change events
Administrative Account Abuse	Use of domain admin or privileged accounts for unexpected actions	Attackers often abuse admin accounts once initial access is gained	Privileged logon and group events
New User Account Creation	Creation of new domain user accounts	Attackers often create persistence accounts after compromise	User account creation events
Unexpected Account Deletions	Deletion of user or computer accounts	Could indicate malicious activity or insider abuse	Account deletion events
Password Change Activity	Password resets or changes on sensitive accounts	Helps detect unauthorised credential changes	Password change/reset events
Group Policy Changes	Modifications to Group Policy Objects (GPOs)	GPO abuse can weaken security or deploy malicious settings	GPO modification events
Security Log Tampering	Clearing or disabling Windows Security logs	Common attacker technique to hide activity	Log cleared or audit policy change events
Audit Policy Changes	Changes to advanced audit policy settings	Can reduce visibility and detection capability	Audit policy change events
Service Account Activity	Authentication or changes involving service accounts	Service accounts are often over-privileged and targeted	Logon and account change events
Domain Controller Configuration Changes	Changes made directly on domain controllers	High-risk activity that should always be monitored	System and security configuration events
Kerberos Authentication Issues	Abnormal Kerberos ticket activity	Can indicate ticket abuse or replay attacks	Kerberos-related authentication events
Replication & Directory Errors	AD replication or directory service errors	Can impact availability and signal deeper issues	Directory service and replication events

FAQ

What is the best Active Directory monitoring tool?

The best Active Directory monitoring tool is one that provides real-time visibility into Windows Event IDs and identity-related activity without excessive complexity. InfraSOS focuses specifically on identity security and AD monitoring.

Does InfraSOS monitor Windows Event Logs?

Yes. InfraSOS monitors native Windows Event Logs across Domain Controllers, servers, and Windows endpoints.

Can I create custom alerts based on Event IDs?

Yes. InfraSOS allows you to define custom alert profiles based on any Windows Event ID and event attributes.

What is Active Directory monitoring?

Active Directory monitoring is the continuous tracking of identity-related activity within Active Directory using Windows Event Logs. It helps organisations detect authentication issues, security risks, unauthorised changes, and suspicious behaviour affecting users, groups, and domain controllers.

InfraSOS performs Active Directory monitoring by analysing Windows Event IDs generated across Domain Controllers, servers, and Windows endpoints.

Can Active Directory monitoring detect identity threats?

Yes. Many identity threats leave traces in Windows Event Logs before full compromise occurs. Monitoring these events allows security teams to identify early indicators of attack, such as unusual authentication patterns or unexpected privilege changes.

InfraSOS supports identity threat detection by alerting on suspicious Active Directory activity in real time.

Can I monitor multiple domain controllers and servers?

Yes. InfraSOS supports monitoring across multiple Domain Controllers, Windows servers, and Windows workstations, allowing organisations to maintain visibility across their entire Active Directory environment.

Does Active Directory monitoring impact performance?

Active Directory monitoring based on event log analysis does not impact directory performance. InfraSOS relies on native Windows Event log forwarding and performs the detection on the Windows Event forwarding server and does not interfere with Active Directory operations.

Why is Active Directory monitoring important for security?

Active Directory is often the primary target in cyber attacks because it controls user access and privileges. Without proper monitoring, attackers can escalate privileges, create backdoor accounts, or disable security controls without being noticed.

Active Directory monitoring helps detect identity-based attacks early by alerting on suspicious or high-risk events in real time.

What should I monitor in Active Directory?

Security teams typically monitor:

Failed and successful logon activity
Account lockouts and password changes
Privileged group membership changes
New user and computer account creation
Policy and configuration changes
Security log tampering events

InfraSOS allows customers to monitor these activities using Event IDs and custom alert rules.

How do you monitor Active Directory activity?

Active Directory activity is monitored through Windows Event Logs generated by Domain Controllers and Windows systems. Each action in AD produces one or more Event IDs.

InfraSOS monitors these Event IDs in real time and triggers alerts when defined conditions are met via Windows Event forwarding.

What are Event IDs in Active Directory?

Event IDs are numeric identifiers generated by Windows to describe specific system or security events. In Active Directory, Event IDs represent actions such as user logons, group changes, account creation, and policy updates.

InfraSOS uses Event IDs as the foundation of its Active Directory monitoring and alerting capabilities.

What is the difference between Active Directory monitoring and auditing?

Active Directory monitoring focuses on real-time detection and alerting, while auditing focuses on historical visibility and review.

InfraSOS supports both by:

Monitoring Event IDs in real time
Providing visibility into identity-related activity for investigation and audit purposes

Is Active Directory monitoring the same as a SIEM?

No. SIEM platforms collect logs from many systems and require complex rule creation and tuning.

InfraSOS is a focused Active Directory monitoring tool designed specifically for identity security and Windows Event Log monitoring, without the complexity of a full SIEM.

Can I create custom Active Directory alerts?

Yes. InfraSOS allows customers to create custom alert profiles based on:

Specific Event IDs
Event attributes within the event XML
Target systems such as Domain Controllers or servers

This allows organisations to tailor alerts to their security requirements.

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InfraSOS Reviews

100's of Happy IT Teams

 5/5

"Instant visibility into Active Directory risks"

InfraSOS gave us immediate visibility into what was really happening inside our domain controllers. We were able to detect privileged group changes, suspicious logons, and risky user activity within minutes. The Event ID alerting is incredibly flexible and far more detailed than native Windows auditing alone. Very reponsive support team also.

John Schnieder

IT Security Manager, Financial Services

 5/5

"Exactly what we needed for AD and Microsoft 365 monitoring"

We were looking for a simple but powerful way to monitor Active Directory and Microsoft 365 without deploying a full SIEM. InfraSOS delivered exactly that. The real-time alerts, clear severity levels, and identity-focused monitoring make it easy to spot threats and misconfigurations before they become incidents.

Dev Patel

Head of Infrastructure

 5/5

"Built for identity security, not just logs"

What sets InfraSOS apart is that it’s clearly built for identity security use cases. Instead of drowning in logs, we get meaningful alerts for things like new domain admins, risky logins, and unexpected changes. Setup was straightforward, and the dashboards are easy for both security and IT teams to understand

Nick Soltysiak

Senior Systems Engineer, MSP

 5/5

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