File Monitoring Software tracks changes to critical files and folders within your network. These tools provide real-time updates and alerts, helping businesses to better maintain control over their IT infrastructure.
File Monitoring Software is a valuable component of a robust security system, as these solutions actively monitor for abnormal file activity that could indicate a potential security breach. File Monitoring Software supports file integrity and access control, making it easier to detect unauthorized file access or manipulations.
These solutions help you to protection your sensitive data, as well as to identify potential threats. We’ve put together a shortlist of our top picks for the Top File Monitoring Software solutions, with each of our chosen vendors selected for their strong features, scalability, ease of use, and user satisfaction. Our research includes an examination of user reviews and personalized feedback from our technical team.
FileVantage is a file integrity management solution that monitors changes to critical files and minimizes alert fatigue, helping organizations to comply with regulatory standards such as PCI that require monitoring.
Who it’s for: Ideal for security operations teams in enterprises requiring robust file monitoring capabilities.
Benefits: FileVantage offers centralized visibility and real-time tracking of changes to critical files, folders, and registries, ensuring better control and compliance with regulatory standards.
The bottom line: FileVantage provides a comprehensive file integrity management and real-time monitoring, making it an essential tool for security operations teams tasked with maintaining regulatory compliance and reducing alert fatigue.
FileAudit is a file monitoring and auditing tool designed for Windows file servers and cloud storage systems.
Who it’s for: Ideal for a wide range of organizations, from SMBs to large enterprises, in need of real-time file access tracking and auditing capabilities.
Benefits: FileAudit provides transparent and comprehensive auditing for file access, making it a strong choice for ensuring data integrity and security.
The bottom line: FileAudit stands out for its non-intrusive, agentless design and its ability to track and audit file changes across multiple sources in real time. This makes it a reliable solution for organizations that need robust file monitoring and compliance capabilities.
ManageEngine ADAudit Plus provides comprehensive auditing and monitoring for Active Directory, file servers, and NAS devices.
Who it’s for: This platform is ideal for enterprises seeking robust file and folder auditing capabilities in their IT infrastructure.
Benefits: ManageEngine ADAudit Plus excels in real-time tracking and management of file activities across multiple systems. It ensures organizations stay ahead of potential security issues with advanced auditing features.
The bottom line: ManageEngine ADAudit Plus is a high-performing auditing tool designed to enhance security and compliance by providing in-depth visibility into file and folder activities. Its real-time monitoring and advanced behavior analytics make it indispensable for maintaining IT security.
Netwrix Auditor is an IT auditing and reporting tool designed to track changes across various systems and file servers.
Who it’s for: Industries such as manufacturing, financial services, and insurance.
Benefits: Netwrix Auditor provides visibility into file changes, ensuring critical files remain secure and compliance is maintained.
The bottom line: Netwrix Auditor stands out for its robust auditing capabilities, helping organizations identify data leaks, remain compliant, and secure sensitive information by monitoring file activities comprehensively.
OSSEC is an open-source, host-based intrusion detection system that offers comprehensive file and registry monitoring and integrity checking.
Who it’s for: OSSEC is suitable for a wide range of users, from SMBs to large enterprises and government agencies.
Benefits: OSSEC excels at detecting and preventing unauthorized activities on host systems. It runs seamlessly on most operating systems including Windows, Mac, and Linux.
The bottom line: OSSEC stands out for its real-time monitoring capabilities and extensive auditing features, making it a valuable tool for maintaining host system integrity. Its open-source nature coupled with broad OS compatibility offers flexibility and robust security for organizations of all sizes.
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is a comprehensive file server monitoring tool that tracks both file changes and server performance. It automatically discovers your environment upon installation, enabling monitoring within an hour, and supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
Who it’s for: Ideal for small businesses, enterprises, educational institutions, and public sector organizations.
Benefits: SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor provides real-time insights and performance tracking across diverse environments.
The bottom line: SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor provides robust monitoring capabilities with real-time updates and a high level of customizability. Its quick installation and broad compatibility make it a strong choice for various organizations looking to enhance their IT infrastructure monitoring.
Tripwire Enterprise is a file integrity monitoring solution designed to enhance security and compliance auditing with automated remediation capabilities. The solution supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, offering flexibility across diverse IT infrastructures.
Who it’s for: Best suited for large enterprise organizations.
Benefits: Tripwire Enterprise excels in providing a robust and streamlined approach to file integrity monitoring, integrating seamlessly with existing IT security tools.
The bottom line: Tripwire Enterprise stands out for its extensive integrations, flexible environment support, and its ability to maintain centralized control over configurations. The automated features and real-time monitoring make it an essential tool for maintaining compliance and security within large enterprise IT infrastructures.
File monitoring software is designed to track changes to files and directories in real-time. These solutions monitor actions like file creation, modification, deletion, and access, whilst also providing users with alerts when unauthorized or suspicious activities occur. This helps to ensure data security, system integrity, and compliance.
File monitoring software gives admins a way to track changes to files within servers and distributed environments using several automated, streamlined features. A file monitor is designed to create a baseline for comparing file characteristics against future changes. File monitoring software can also provide users with alerts that can be set up to notify relevant individuals of specific file conditions, so they only receive critical alerts for issues that pertain to them.
File Monitoring Software integrates with your IT infrastructure and monitors specified files and directories for any changes. This could mean new files being created, existing files being deleted or modified, or changes to file permissions. These solutions issue alerts in real-time when unauthorized or abnormal file activity is detected.
A File Monitoring Software Solution works to track important file attributes, which may include the following:
Tracking these critical attributes makes it possible for the file monitoring software to detect changes to important files of system configurations. File monitoring systems observe the full environment when they are first installed to determine a status quo file baseline. This is then used to track alterations to files and see where they deviate from the norm. Any notable difference can then be easily identified, meaning that users can be quickly alerted of potential file integrity issues.
When selecting File Monitoring Software, consider the following features:
Mirren McDade is a senior writer and journalist at Expert Insights, spending each day researching, writing, editing and publishing content, covering a variety of topics and solutions, and interviewing industry experts. She is an experienced copywriter with a background in a range of industries, including cloud business technologies, cloud security, information security and cyber security, and has conducted interviews with several industry experts. Mirren holds a First Class Honors degree in English from Edinburgh Napier University.
Laura Iannini is an Information Security Engineer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity from the University of West Florida. Laura has experience with a variety of cybersecurity platforms and leads technical reviews of leading solutions. She conducts thorough product tests to ensure that Expert Insights’ reviews are definitive and insightful.