How to Track Who Deleted a File from Your Windows File Servers

If a file on a server in your domain is deleted, either maliciously or by mistake, users may be unable access critical information they need, causing important business processes to come to a halt. Moreover, without proper file deletion auditing and access permission change auditing, it’s impossible to hold users accountable for their actions and prevent further unauthorized deletions.

Microsoft provides a native method to audit file deletions on Windows file servers. However, you must have already enabled auditing, and the process of searching through Windows event log for deleted files can be quite cumbersome: You’ll have to open each event in the list to find the details, such as the name of the person who deleted the file and the time of the event.

Netwrix Auditor enables you to easily detect and investigate malicious or erroneous file deletions on your Windows file servers, EMC storage devices and NetApp filers. In just a few simple steps, you can get a clear report that shows all changes and access events, including easy-to-read who/what/where/when details. You can even get the reports by email automatically on schedule, and get alerts about specific types of actions so you can respond immediately. The interactive search will simplify and streamline the investigation process. Netwrix Auditor also offers advanced user behavior monitoring that keeps you informed about anomalous activity, such as a surge in access events or mass data deletions, so you can take action before you suffer a breach, data loss or downtime.