Configure audit polices manually

Configure list of Windows servers to be audited

1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. Right-click the domain and select New > Group.
3. In the New object - Group window that opens, type in “ADAuditPlusMS” as the Group name, check Group scope: Domain Local and Group type: Security. Click OK.
4. Right-click the newly created group and select Properties > Members > Add. Add all the Windows servers that you want to audit as a member of this group. Click OK.
5. Using domain admin credentials, log in to any computer that has the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) on it.

   Note: The GPMC will not be installed on workstations and/or enabled on member servers by default, so we recommend configuring audit policies on Windows domain controllers. Otherwise follow the steps in this page to install GPMC on your desired member server or workstation.

6. Go to Start > Windows Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management.
7. In the GPMC, right-click the domain in which you want to configure the Group Policy. Select Create a GPO and Link it here. In the New GPO window that opens, type in “ADAuditPlusMSPolicy” and click OK.
8. Select the ADAuditPlusMSPolicy GPO. Under Security Filtering, select Authenticated Users. Click Remove. In the Group Policy Management window that opens, select OK.
9. Select the ADAuditPlusMSPolicy GPO. Under Security Filtering, click Add and choose the security group ADAuditPlusMS created previously. Click OK.

Configure advanced audit policies 

Advanced audit policies help administrators exercise granular control over which activities get recorded in the logs, helping cut down on event noise. We recommend configuring advanced audit policies on Windows Server 2008 and above.

1. Log in to any computer that has the GPMC with Domain Admin credentials. Open the GPMC, then right-click ADAuditPlusMSPolicy and select Edit.
2. In the Group Policy Management Editor, go to Computer Configuration → Policies → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Advanced Audit Policy Configuration → Audit Policy. Double-click on the relevant policy setting. 
3. Navigate to the right pane and right-click on the relevant Subcategory. Select Properties, then choose Success, Failure, or both, as directed in the table below.

Category	Subcategory	Audit Events
Account Management	Audit Computer Account Management Audit Distribution Group Management Audit Security Group Management Audit User Account Management	Success Success and Failure
Detailed Tracking	Audit Process Creation Audit Process Termination	Success
DS Access	Audit Directory Service Changes  Audit Directory Service Access	Success
Logon/Logoff	Audit Logon Audit Network Policy Server Audit Other Logon/Logoff Events Audit Logoff	Success and Failure Success
Object Access	Audit File System Audit Handle Manipulation Audit File Share	Success and Failure
Policy Change	Audit Authentication Policy Change Audit Authorization Policy Change	Success
System	Audit Security State Change	Success

Force advanced audit policies

When using advanced audit policies, ensure that they are forced over legacy audit policies. 

1. Log in to any computer that has the GPMC with Domain Admin credentials. Open the GPMC, right-click ADAuditPlusMSPolicy, then select Edit.
2. In the Group Policy Management Editor, go to Computer Configuration → Policies → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Local Policies → Security Options.
3. Navigate to the right pane, then right-click Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings. Select Properties, then Enable.

Configure legacy audit policies

Due to the unavailability of advanced audit policies in Windows Server 2003 and earlier versions, legacy audit policies need to be configured for these types of servers.

1. Log in to any computer that has the GPMC with Domain Admin credentials. Open the GPMC, right-click ADAuditPlusMSPolicy, then select Edit.
2. In the Group Policy Management Editor, go to Computer Configuration → Policies → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Local Policies, and double-click Audit Policy.
3. Navigate to the right pane and right-click on the relevant policy. Select Properties, then choose Success, Failure, or both, as directed in the table below:

Category	Audit Events
Account Logon	Success and Failure
Audit Logon/Logoff	Success and Failure
Account Management	Success
Directory Service Access	Success
Process Tracking	Success
Object Access	Success
System Events	Success