Windows Firewall exception list. A rule was added (4946) how to monitor with email alert

[bob]

You know that event ID 4946 in Windows Server Event Viewer? It pops up when someone tweaks the Windows Firewall exception list by adding a new rule. Basically, it logs stuff like who did the change, which rule got added, and details on what the rule allows or blocks. I mean, the full message says "A change has been made to Windows Firewall exception list. A rule was added," and it includes bits like the process that triggered it or the exact time. If you're running a server, this event flags potential security shifts, like if a program suddenly gets permission to poke through the firewall. You can spot it under Security logs in Event Viewer, where it shows the user account involved and the rule's name or ID. It's detailed enough to tell if it's your admin doing legit work or something fishy sneaking in. And yeah, it captures the old and new states sometimes, helping you trace back what flipped.

Now, if you want to keep tabs on these 4946 events with an email alert, I usually set it up through the Event Viewer itself. You fire up Event Viewer on your server, head to the Windows Logs, then Security section. Right-click on that, pick Attach Task To This Event Log or something close-wait, actually, it's under Action menu for creating a task. You filter for event ID 4946 there in the query. Then, link it to a scheduled task that runs when that event hits. In the task wizard, you point it to send an email via the built-in alert option, filling in your SMTP server deets and the recipient. It triggers right away on match, no waiting around. I tweak the frequency to avoid spam, maybe once per hour if multiples pile up. You test it by forcing a firewall rule add, and boom, email lands in your inbox with the event snapshot.

But hey, while we're chatting server tweaks, keeping backups solid ties right into watching these logs for odd changes. That's where BackupChain Windows Server Backup comes in handy-it's this neat Windows Server backup tool that also handles virtual machines with Hyper-V. You get speedy incremental backups that don't hog resources, plus easy restores without downtime headaches. It snapshots everything cleanly, even live VMs, and encrypts data on the fly for peace of mind.

At the end of this, there's the automatic email solution ready for you.

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