What is the Purpose of the Security Event Log?

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated March 27, 2017)

There are several types of event logs maintained by the Windows operating system. One of these is the Security event log. Windows writes to this log when auditing is turned on. Writing to the Security log is reserved for Windows only. Other applications cannot write into this particular event log.

Like events written to other event logs, some of the important elements written to the Security log include the date and time when the event occurred, the event ID, and the event source. It's also important to note the Keywords in this log since they indicate what type of audit message the event represents (i.e., "Audit Success" or "Audit Failure"). (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Partial display of the Security event log.

Events can be viewed by using the Event Viewer, and by default they are presented in reverse chronological order (i.e., the most recent event is on top). You can, however, sort the events by any of the event columns by clicking the column header.

 This tip (12923) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Using the Narrator

The Narrator is an accessibility feature designed for people who have trouble reading text that's on the screen. Turning ...

Discover More

Starting Applications Automatically when Starting Windows

Understanding the Task Scheduler is a great asset when you want your computer to do things automatically. This tip shows ...

Discover More

Making a File Read-Only

If you have an important file that you want to be sure doesn't get accidentally edited, you can set it to read-only. This ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Tracking Down Who Installed or Removed a Program or App

Managing a computer system can often involve a good deal of detective work. This tip looks at how you can use your ...

Discover More

Viewing Event Logs

Event logs are automatically maintained by the operating system. By periodically viewing them, you'll have a better idea ...

Discover More

Creating a Custom View in the Event Viewer

Creating a custom view in the Event Viewer allows you quick access to those events you're interested in watching over ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two more than 5?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips