win:security 4625
An account failed to log on.
- Log source
- Windows Security event log
- Host type
- Windows (workstation, member server, domain controller)
- How to enable
- Advanced Audit Policy: Logon/Logoff > Audit Account Lockout
- Audit category
- Logon/Logoff
- Audit subcategory
- Audit Account Lockout
- Tier, host type
- Minimum
- Techniques
- 10
- Rules depending on it
- Splunk 8, Sigma 5, Elastic 15, Microsoft Sentinel 10
Why this tier
DISA STIG (server); DISA STIG (workstation); Microsoft audit baseline (dc); Microsoft audit baseline (server); Microsoft audit baseline (workstation); NSA
By role
| Role | Tier | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Windows workstation | Minimum | DISA STIG (workstation); Microsoft audit baseline (workstation); NSA |
| Windows member server | Minimum | DISA STIG (server); Microsoft audit baseline (server); NSA |
| Windows domain controller | Minimum | DISA STIG (server); Microsoft audit baseline (dc); Microsoft audit baseline (server); NSA |
| Windows web server (IIS), internet-facing | Minimum | DISA STIG (server); Microsoft audit baseline (server); NSA |
Techniques it helps detect
Rules that depend on it
Splunk 8
- Detect Password Spray Attack Behavior From Source
- Detect Password Spray Attack Behavior On User
- Detect Password Spray Attempts
- Windows Local Administrator Credential Stuffing
- Windows Multiple Users Failed To Authenticate From Process
- Windows Multiple Users Remotely Failed To Authenticate From Host
- Windows Unusual Count Of Users Failed To Authenticate From Process
- Windows Unusual Count Of Users Remotely Failed To Auth From Host
Sigma 5
- Account Tampering - Suspicious Failed Logon Reasons by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
- Failed Logon From Public IP by NVISO
- Hacktool Ruler by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
- Metasploit SMB Authentication by Chakib Gzenayi (@Chak092), Hosni Mribah
- Scanner PoC for CVE-2019-0708 RDP RCE Vuln by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Adam Bradbury (idea)
Elastic 15
- Account Password Reset Remotelyinferred
- First Time Seen NewCredentials Logon Processinferred
- Interactive Logon by an Unusual Processinferred
- Multiple Logon Failure Followed by Logon Successinferred
- Multiple Logon Failure from the same Source Addressinferred
- Potential Account Takeover - Logon from New Source IPinferred
- Potential Account Takeover - Mixed Logon Typesinferred
- Potential Computer Account NTLM Relay Activity
- Potential Kerberos Relay Attack against a Computer Account
- Potential NTLM Relay Attack against a Computer Account
- Potential Pass-the-Hash (PtH) Attemptinferred
- Privileged Accounts Brute Forceinferred
- Process Creation via Secondary Logoninferred
- Remote Windows Service Installedinferred
- Service Creation via Local Kerberos Authenticationinferred
Microsoft Sentinel 10
- Brute force attack against user credentials (Uses Authentication Normalization)inferred
- EatonForeseer - Unauthorized Logins
- Excessive Windows Logon Failures
- Failed host logons but success logon to AzureAD
- Failed logon attempts by valid accounts within 10 mins
- Potential Password Spray Attack (Uses Authentication Normalization)inferred
- Potential Remote Desktop Tunneling
- SecurityEvent - Multiple authentication failures followed by a success
- Sign-ins from IPs that attempt sign-ins to disabled accounts (Uses Authentication Normalization)inferred
- User login from different countries within 3 hours (Uses Authentication Normalization)inferred
Standards and guidance naming it
| Requirement | Relation | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows 11 V2R11 (2026-10-05) | Names this event | WN11-AU-000054 (workstation): Audit Account Lockout Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows 11 V2R11 (2026-10-05) | Names this event | WN11-AU-000070 (workstation): Audit Logon Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows 11 V2R11 (2026-10-05) | Names this event | WN11-AU-000075 (workstation): Audit Logon Success |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2022 V2R11 | Names this event | WN22-AU-000160 (server): Audit Account Lockout Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2022 V2R11 | Names this event | WN22-AU-000190 (server): Audit Logon Success |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2022 V2R11 | Names this event | WN22-AU-000200 (server): Audit Logon Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows 10 V3R6 (2026-01-23) | Names this event | WN10-AU-000054 (workstation): Audit Account Lockout Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows 10 V3R6 (2026-01-23) | Names this event | WN10-AU-000070 (workstation): Audit Logon Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows 10 V3R6 (2026-01-23) | Names this event | WN10-AU-000075 (workstation): Audit Logon Success |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2019 V3R9 (2026-07-10) | Names this event | WN19-AU-000160 (server): Audit Account Lockout Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2019 V3R9 (2026-07-10) | Names this event | WN19-AU-000190 (server): Audit Logon Success |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2019 V3R9 (2026-07-10) | Names this event | WN19-AU-000200 (server): Audit Logon Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2025 V1R1 (2026-02-27) | Names this event | WN25-AU-000150 (server): Audit Account Lockout Success |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2025 V1R1 (2026-02-27) | Names this event | WN25-AU-000160 (server): Audit Account Lockout Failure |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2025 V1R1 (2026-02-27) | Names this event | WN25-AU-000190 (server): Audit Logon Success |
| DISA STIG: Advanced audit policy requirementsMicrosoft Windows Server 2025 V1R1 (2026-02-27) | Names this event | WN25-AU-000200 (server): Audit Logon Failure |
| NSA: Recommended Windows events to forwardEvent Forwarding Guidance (RecommendedEvents.csv) | Names this event | Account Usage: Failed User Account Login |
| Microsoft: Events to monitor with potential criticalityAppendix L: Events to Monitor (Windows Server AD DS best practices) | Names this event | potential criticality Low: An account failed to log on. |
EDR events that stand in for it
Full: the sensor event carries what this event carries. Partial: the sensor reports a subset, so it does not replace the event.
| Product | Sensor event | Fidelity | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Endpoint device tables | DeviceLogonEvents | Full | pySigma-backend-kusto: logon -> DeviceLogonEvents (ActionType LogonFailed, named in Sentinel rules) |
| CrowdStrike Falcon sensor telemetry (FDR event_simpleName) | UserLogonFailed2 | Partial | our analysis: UserLogonFailed2 in the FDR feed; sub-status codes differ from Security 4625 |