How to Track Group Policy Changes

Group Policy (GP) plays a vital role in Windows Active Directory environments, giving IT administrators the tools they need to manage and configure operating systems, applications and user settings. Monitoring Group Policy changes is key for maintaining system security and compliance, ensuring that any unauthorized changes are identified and dealt with quickly.

Why Keep an Eye on Group Policy Changes?

1. Maintain Security: Spot unauthorized changes that might leave systems vulnerable.
2. Ensure Compliance: Review changes to make sure they align with company policies or regulatory standards. 
3. Troubleshoot Issues: Track misconfigurations that could lead to policy deployment problems.
4. Track User Accountability: Know who made specific changes and when they did it.

How to Track Group Policy Changes

1. Enable Group Policy Auditing

To track changes, first enable auditing to record Group Policy modifications.

1. Open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).
2. Create or edit a Group Policy Object (GPO) that applies to your domain controllers.
3. Go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Advanced Audit Policy Configuration > Audit Policies.
4. Enable these policies under Policy Change:
   • Audit Policy Change (Success, Failure).
   • Audit Directory Service Access (Success, Failure).

2. Use Event Viewer to Track Changes

Once you've got auditing up and running, the Event Viewer is your go-to for keeping tabs on Group Policy events:

1. Start by opening the Event Viewer. Just press Win + R, type in eventvwr, and hit Enter.
2. Head over to Windows Logs > Security.
3. To narrow down the logs, filter by these Event IDs that are tied to Group Policy changes:
   • 5136: Object modification.
   • 5137: Object creation.
   • 5138: Object undelete.
   • 5139: Object move.
   • 5141: Object deletion.
4.  If you want to dive deeper into an event, just double-click it to see details like who made the change and what was modified.

3. Use PowerShell for Group Policy Auditing

PowerShell is a powerful ally when it comes to tracking Group Policy changes:

Query Event Logs: Use this command to pull up the relevant events:

      Get-WinEvent -LogName Security -FilterHashtable @{ID=5136}

Export Logs for Analysis: If you want to save the output for later review, you can export it to a file:

      Get-WinEvent -LogName Security -FilterHashtable @{ID=5136} | Export-Csv "C:\\GPO_Changes.csv"

4. Use Advanced Tools for Monitoring

Consider using third-party tools like Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) or other SIEM solutions. They can make tracking, alerting, and reporting on Group Policy changes a whole lot easier.

Best Practices for Tracking Group Policy Changes

1. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Limit who has the ability to modify Group Policies.
2. Set Up Alerts: Use SIEM tools to configure alerts for any critical changes to Group Policies.
3. Regularly Review Audit Logs: Take the time to periodically check logs for any unauthorized or unintended changes.
4. Document Changes: Keep a detailed change log for Group Policy updates to help correlate events with intentional actions.
5. Use Version Control: Make use of tools like AGPM to track changes and easily roll back to previous versions if necessary.

Final Thoughts

Keeping track of Group Policy changes is essential for ensuring a secure and compliant Active Directory environment. By enabling auditing, monitoring logs and utilizing tools like PowerShell or AGPM, administrators can effectively spot and address any unauthorized modifications. Sticking to these best practices helps ensure that your organization’s Group Policy infrastructure stays reliable and secure.