Top 10 Best File Server Auditing Software of 2026

Netwrix Auditor is a leading file server auditing solution that provides real-time monitoring of file access, modifications, deletions, and permission changes across Windows file shares and NAS devices. It offers detailed forensic reports, interactive timelines, and automated alerts to detect suspicious activities and ensure compliance with standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS. With agentless deployment options and integration with SIEM systems, it simplifies security operations for IT admins managing sensitive data.

LepideAuditor is a comprehensive auditing platform specializing in file server monitoring, tracking changes to files, folders, permissions, and shares in real-time. It delivers detailed reports on who accessed or modified what, when, and from where, aiding compliance with standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX. The solution includes permission analysis tools to identify risks and automate alerts for suspicious activities.

ManageEngine ADAudit Plus is a robust auditing solution designed for monitoring Active Directory, member servers, and Windows file servers. It tracks file and folder activities including creations, modifications, deletions, and permission changes in real-time. The software offers customizable reports, dashboards, and alerts to help detect security threats and ensure regulatory compliance like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and SOX.

IS Decisions FileAudit is a robust file server auditing solution that provides real-time monitoring of file access, modifications, deletions, and permissions across Windows file servers, NAS storage (NetApp, EMC), and SharePoint. It delivers detailed audit logs, forensic search tools, and customizable alerts to detect insider threats and compliance issues efficiently. The agentless architecture simplifies deployment and ensures low overhead, making it ideal for security-focused IT environments.

Varonis DatAdvantage is a comprehensive file server auditing and data governance platform designed for Windows file shares, NAS, and SharePoint environments. It delivers real-time visibility into file access, permissions sprawl, and data exposure risks through advanced analytics and behavioral baselining. The solution automates data classification, least privilege enforcement, and threat detection to help organizations secure sensitive unstructured data and ensure compliance.

Quest Change Auditor for Windows File Servers is an enterprise-grade auditing tool designed to track all changes to files, folders, shares, and NTFS permissions on Windows file servers in real-time. It provides detailed before-and-after views of modifications, capturing who made the change, what was altered, when it occurred, and why through event log correlation. The solution supports compliance reporting for standards like SOX, HIPAA, and GDPR, with customizable alerts and dashboards for proactive security monitoring.

SolarWinds Access Rights Manager (ARM) is a robust solution for auditing and managing user access rights across file servers, Active Directory, and Exchange environments. It provides deep visibility into file permissions, tracks changes, identifies excessive privileges, and automates access reviews to ensure compliance with standards like GDPR, SOX, and HIPAA. Ideal for Windows-centric organizations, ARM helps reduce security risks by visualizing permission hierarchies and recommending remediation actions.

Netskope StealthAUDIT is a comprehensive auditing solution focused on Windows file servers, Active Directory, and Exchange environments, providing real-time monitoring of file access, permissions changes, and user activities. It enables data discovery, risk assessment, and compliance reporting to help organizations identify over-permissions, stale data, and security vulnerabilities. The tool supports both agent-based and agentless deployment options for flexible implementation in enterprise settings.

Syskit Point is a Microsoft 365 governance and security platform that provides auditing and monitoring for file access primarily in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams environments. It tracks user activities, analyzes permissions, generates compliance reports, and identifies risky access patterns to secure cloud-based file sharing. While effective for M365 file servers, it lacks native support for on-premises Windows file servers, making it less ideal for hybrid or traditional setups.

Splunk Enterprise is a powerful SIEM and analytics platform that ingests and analyzes machine-generated data, including logs from file servers for auditing purposes. It enables monitoring of file access, changes, permissions, and user activities through Windows Event Logs, Sysmon, and file integrity monitoring add-ons. While versatile for enterprise-wide visibility, it requires custom configurations and SPL queries to excel in targeted file server auditing scenarios.