Tracking Access And Strange Patterns From Nosy Users
Curiosity can get the best of anyone, but there are some people who absolutely must access any and all information. Whether it's a nosy basic user, a power-hungry manager or a completely unknown intruder, you need to know what's being accessed in order to mitigate theft and possible damage. Don't just spend all of your resources on protection, because there's no such thing as a perfect defense. Instead, consider a few data activity tracking and monitoring methods that could reveal a snooper's ill intent.
The Basics: What You Have Already
Modern operating systems have built-in methods for showing when files were accessed. These basics are more than just showing a time and date for when a specific file was accessed or opened; there are logs that can be configured to show every file access, every opened folder, which user performed the task and when.
The problem is that these logs can be daunting in any regular computer use environment. If you're dealing with a business network, there could be hundreds or thousands of files opened or modified within an hour, either through intentional use, accidentally while looking for something else or for more sinister purposes.
You can limit these logs by having a more specific log for files and directories that need to be protected. If you're keeping these files on a drive that houses other general information, you can increase your security and make logging easier by putting files on a physically separate drive.
With less people having a reason to go to the drive by accident, you can filter out the people who should have access from the people who shouldn't be trying on a regular basis.
Advanced Tracking Software
There are ways to hide access, or even make it look like someone else was accessing the information. To keep better track of who is trying to view what, you may need a third-party solution to log activity and search for patterns.
File system activity auditing services can create a detailed snapshot of how certain files are accessed. Specific, sensitive information can be monitored without bringing overt attention to their importance, and you can use the information to both educate users who have no business abusing certain resources as well as finding those who would do harm to your systems.
With such a detailed system, auditing solutions must be tailored to your specific computer or network. Contact a data activity tracking and security auditing expert as soon as possible to begin planning a better security suite.
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