There are certain really helpful Event Logs that just aren’t enabled by default. This KB will show you how to enable the Event Log ID 4740, which will really help with proactively managing accounts that belong to users who are having trouble with their passwords, getting locked out while trying to connect to a resource remotely, or an account just getting maliciously hammered and locked out because your policies in place are stopping them. You have Password Policies in place to lock out users based on thresholds, right!?
Fire up Group Policy Management
The Domain Controllers are in charge of the Security Event Logs. You’ll need to make a GPO change in order for this event to trigger. Here’s a screenshot of that event:
[Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Audit Policy\Audit account management]
Make it a GPO for all Domain Controllers
Under the OU for Domain Controllers, create a new GPO. I called mine “User Lockout Event Logging” so I knew exactly what it was. Just make sure it’s being applied for all domain controllers, in case someone hits a different DC than your primary.
Enable both, why not?
A success means that Active Directory did its job and successfully locked out the account. A failure means it did not successfully audit the account and while an attempt was made, the account was not locked out. A healthy environment shouldn’t ever get Failures, really; that would imply a deeper issue.
Here’s the Explain Tab in full form:
Audit account management
This security setting determines whether to audit each event of account management on a computer. Examples of account management events include:
A user account or group is created, changed, or deleted.
A user account is renamed, disabled, or enabled.
A password is set or changed.
If you define this policy setting, you can specify whether to audit successes, audit failures, or not audit the event type at all. Success audits generate an audit entry when any account management event succeeds. Failure audits generate an audit entry when any account management event fails. To set this value to No auditing, in the Properties dialog box for this policy setting, select the Define these policy settings check box and clear the Success and Failure check boxes.
Default values on Client editions:
User Account Management: Success
Computer Account Management: No Auditing
Security Group Management: Success
Distribution Group Management: No Auditing
Application Group Management: No Auditing
Other Account Management Events: No Auditing
Default values on Server editions:
User Account Management: Success
Computer Account Management: Success
Security Group Management: Success
Distribution Group Management: No Auditing
Application Group Management: No Auditing
Other Account Management Events: No Auditing
Important: For more control over auditing policies, use the settings in the Advanced Audit Policy Configuration node. For more information about Advanced Audit Policy Configuration, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=140969.
Cheers!
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