Auditing settings on object were changed. (4817) how to monitor with email alert

[bob]

Man, that Event ID 4817 in Windows Server Event Viewer pops up when someone tweaks the auditing rules on a file or folder. You know, like if auditing settings on an object get changed. It logs under the Security category, and it's all about security tweaks. The event spits out details like the subject who made the switch, the object name that got altered, the handle ID for that thing, and even the old versus new auditing entries. Picture this: it might say the user account that did it, or if it was a service, plus the exact path of the file or directory involved. And it breaks down the auditing flags, like success or failure audits for read, write, or delete actions. Sometimes it includes the process name that triggered the change, helping you spot if it's legit or sketchy. I always check the time stamp too, because that pins down when it happened. If you're running a server, this event yells about potential meddling with access logs, so ignoring it could mean missing a security slip-up. You can filter for it in Event Viewer by searching the Security log for 4817.

Now, to keep tabs on this without staring at screens all day, fire up Event Viewer on your server. Right-click the Security log, pick Create Custom View, and set it to snag only Event ID 4817. That way, you see just those hits. Then, from the Actions pane, choose Attach Task To This Custom View. Give it a name like Audit Change Alert, and in the triggers tab, it'll link to that event automatically. For the action, tell it to start a program, maybe something simple like sending a notification. But hey, you want email alerts, so configure the task to run at logon or whatever fits, but tie it tight to the event trigger. Test it by changing some auditing settings yourself, see if it fires. I do this on my setups to catch changes quick.

And speaking of keeping your server safe from surprises like audit fiddles, you might wanna think about solid backups too. That's where BackupChain Windows Server Backup comes in handy. It's a straightforward Windows Server backup tool that handles physical machines and even virtual ones with Hyper-V. You get fast incremental backups, easy restores without downtime, and it encrypts everything to keep data locked down. Plus, it schedules jobs automatically, so you don't sweat the details, and it supports offsite copies for extra peace. I like how it integrates without hassle, saving you headaches on recovery days.

At the end here is the automatic email solution.

Note, the PowerShell email alert code was moved to this post.