User Monitoring Dashboard

The user monitoring dashboard aims to monitor user centric information. You can click on any visualisation to drill into the raw events. Any table cells highlighted in red are fields that have not been extracted. Use the app setup dashboard to make any adjustments to you may need to fields.

System Access Tab

The system access tab is designed to give you information about who is accessing what systems and when. If you are monitoring windows data, make sure you have the Windows Technology Add-on installed on your indexer (and search head if you have a distributed environment)

Attackers and their malicious software must run as an authorised user on your network. Closely monitor access patterns to discover unusal activity.

Use the "Show and Hide Filters" button to have your dashboard react to information you care about.

The dashboards and their typical uses are listed below;

System Access by action: Look for Spikes or dips to spot any unusual activity based on previous history

System Access Relationships: Look for suspicious relationships between users and the resources you expect them to logon to

System Access Detailed Activity: Use this panel to understand the specifics of every system access over a time span.

Windows Audit Policy

This tab relies on windows EventCode 4624 (logon) and 4625 (logoff) being present in windows security logs. The "Account Logon" policy object must be configed for "success" and "failure".
See Microsoft security best practice guide for more information.

Typical Sources of Information:

  • Windows Security Eventlog from Domain Controllers and Endpoints.

Required Fields

Splunk Field Name Description Example
src_ip Source IP address 192.168.1.200
dest The System that has been accessed win_dc_01
src_user In privilege escalation events, the unprivileged user wilma
user The user name that made the access wilma-admin
action Indicates if access was granted or not "success", "failure"
src_ip The source ip adress of the logon event 192.168.10.10
logon_type Numeric field found in Windows Authentication Events 3

Extract more fields for Windows Security Events or look at the tutorials page to find out how.

Authorisation Tab

The Authorisation tab is designed to give you information about authorisation changes, such as account lockouts, password resets and changes to privileges. Make sure you have the Splunk Technology Add-on installed on your indexer (and search head if you have a distributed environment)

A tactic often used in breaches is to enable previously disabled accounts, reset passwords, add privilege to existing, or new create accounts and almost immediately delete them after use. Ensure this type of behaviour on your network has been authorised and understood.

Windows Audit Policy

This tab relies on windows EventCode=4720,4722,4725,4726,4738,4740 and 4767. To ensure you see these events, make sure Auditing for account management is configured for "success" and "failure". See Windows Auditing Recomendations for further information.

The dashboards are their typical uses are listed below;

Authorisation Activity by Action: Look for Spikes or dips to spot any unusual activity based on previous history

Authorisation Relationships: Look for suspicious activity based on the executing user, host and change type

Detailed Authorisation Tracking: Use this panel to understand the specifics of every authorisation change over a time span

Typical Sources of Information:

  • Windows Security Logs
  • Windows System Logs

Required Fields

Splunk Field Name Description Example
user The user account that has been affected fred.flintstone
src_user The admin user making the change administrator@goingmad.com
signature A Text description of the change event A New User Account was Created
action Whether the action failed or succeeded "success", "failure"

Extract more fields for Windows Security Events or look at the tutorials page to find out how.

Group Changes Tab

Having situational awareness of changes (temporary or otherwise) to group permissions allows you spot operational policy issues, and in certain instances malicious activity.

Filter on time,initiating user, and host to discover the actions taken by individuals.

Windows Audit Policy

This tab relies on windows EventCode=4731,4727,4754,4735,4737,4755,4734,4730,4758,4732,4728,4756,4733,4729,4757,4723,4724. To ensure you see these events, make sure Auditing for account management is configured for "success" and "failure". See Windows Auditing Recomendations for further information.

The dashboards are their typical uses are listed below;

Group Changes By Signature: Look for any changes made by unprivileged users using the initiating user drop down

Group Change Relationships: Discover relationships between users, hosts and change activity

Detailed Groupd Changes Activity: Use the dashboard filters to understand every change to group membership over time

Typical Sources of Information:

  • Windows Domain Controllers
  • Windows Member Servers

Required Fields

Splunk Field Name Description Example
src_user The unprivileged account escalating privilege fred.flintstone
action The action taken or outcome created, modified, deleted
signature The practical change that occurred Password Set, A Security-enabled global group was created
user The user making the action, or new privileged account fred_admin

Extract more fields for Windows Security Events or look at the tutorials page to find out how.