IIS server security audits

Microsoft IIS servers have become important for the day-to-day function of businesses since they're extremely convenient for hosting web pages and web applications and they store organizations' files. Given their important role for business, organizations need to constantly monitor their IIS servers' health and security. However, tapping into the information-laden IIS server logs is an effective yet arduous method for monitoring IIS servers. This process can be significantly simplified with a log management tool that supports the W3C Extended log format.

EventLog Analyzer is a log management tool that offers out-of-the-box support for logs from IIS servers, among many other log types. This web-based tool also makes sure you won't need to bend over backwards trying to decipher what the logs convey. It breaks down the logs and presents you with actionable data in the form of reports.

Among the over 3,000 security reports that come bundled with the product, more than fifty are specially dedicated to IIS server security. The reporting console neatly segregates the reports under appropriate report groups so that you won't have to spend much time searching for the data you want. There's also a Favorites section where you can add the reports you use most frequently.

A few of the IIS server security reports that come in handy while monitoring and auditing IIS servers are:

Top Users: Lists the users who have logged into the IIS web server the most.

Failed User Authentication: Lists the users who failed authentication most often.

Password Change: Lists the user accounts whose passwords have been changed the most.

SQL Injection Attacks: There are separate reports for different attack types identified in IIS servers, such as SQL injection, cross site scripting, and denial of service, all of which include complete details of the attacks.

FTP Logons: Lists all users who have logged into the FTP server.

FTP Failed Logons: Lists all FTP server logon attempts that have failed. It helps you spot repeated failed attempts to log on to the server, which could indicate an attack attempt.