Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD gains comprehensive AD and file activity visibility with ADAudit Plus

Business challenges

• Centralized log management: Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD needed a unified platform to streamline log management and event monitoring. The team sought a solution that would allow them to view logs from a single interface, eliminating the need to access multiple portals and reducing operational redundancies.
• Resource efficiency: With limited IT resources, Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD’s team struggled to effectively track network activities across the organization. The time-consuming task of manually reviewing server logs placed a significant operational burden on the team, leaving little room for other critical activities.
• Active Directory (AD) change tracking: Managing and tracking changes within the AD environment was complex and labor-intensive. Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD required a solution that could automatically monitor AD changes and deliver immediate alerts to simplify user management and support compliance requirements.

The problem

Before implementing ManageEngine ADManager Plus, Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD’s IT team encountered multiple challenges with its existing AD management and log monitoring setup. The absence of a centralized system forced Bill Gowan, System and Network Administrator at Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD, and his team to manually search through various event logs, an arduous and time-intensive process. “Looking up events in server logs took too much time,” Gowan explained, highlighting the operational strain caused by this disjointed approach. Additionally, the team struggled to manage AD changes effectively, as monitoring and tracking modifications in real time required substantial manual effort and time that the small IT team could not spare.

Without an integrated system to monitor suspicious user activity, such as multiple failed login attempts, Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD faced heightened security risks. Gowan emphasized that they lacked automated alerts for critical actions, limiting their ability to respond quickly. Monitoring file deletions, especially those performed by students, required extensive manual investigation, which was not sustainable for a lean IT team managing a large network. These challenges drove Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD to seek a comprehensive AD management solution that could consolidate logs, streamline user monitoring, and automate alerting to enhance security and operational efficiency.

The solution

With the deployment of ADAudit Plus, Gowan and his team gained a centralized interface for AD auditing, enabling them to monitor changes, track events, and access detailed reports—all without switching between systems. “Now, we have one spot to find everything we’re looking for—no need to look up event ID numbers,” Gowan shared, emphasizing how ADAudit Plus helped his team streamline their workflow and save valuable time.

The solution’s real-time alerting features allowed Phelps-Clifton Springs CSD to monitor critical user behaviors, such as failed login attempts by administrators, enhancing their security response. Gowan also praised the user behavior analytics (UBA) feature for providing in-depth insights into unauthorized actions like file deletions. “When students delete files, I can go right into the report and know who did what, when, and from where,” Gowan explained, describing how the ADAudit Plus has empowered his IT team with comprehensive visibility over the organization's AD environment.

About ADAudit Plus

ADAudit Plus is a real-time Active Directory change auditing solution that features file and folder monitoring, plus access and permission change capabilities. With more than 200 event-specific reports and real-time email alerts, it provides in-depth knowledge about changes made to both the content and configurations of Active Directory, Azure AD, and Windows servers. Additionally, ADAudit Plus provides thorough insights on workstation and file server access (including NetApp and EMC). For more information about ADAudit Plus, visit https://www.manageengine.com/products/active-directory-audit/.