File integrity monitoring data
File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) data refers to the records and reports generated by a system or application that tracks changes to critical files and configurations on a computer system. The primary purpose of FIM is to detect unauthorized or malicious modifications, deletions, or additions to files that could indicate a security breach, misconfiguration, or compliance violation.
FIM data typically includes:
- Baseline information: A snapshot of the initial state of monitored files, including their cryptographic hashes (for example, MD5, SHA-256), timestamps, sizes, permissions, and ownership
- Change events: Detailed logs of any detected modifications, including:
- What changed: The specific file path and the type of change (for example, modified, deleted, added)
- When it changed: The timestamp of the change
- Who changed it: The user or process that initiated the change (if available)
- How it changed: Often includes the new hash value of the file, allowing for comparison with the previous state
- Previous and current state: In some advanced FIM solutions, it might even include the actual content differences for text-based files
- Alerts and notifications: Records of alerts generated when unauthorized or suspicious changes are detected, often including details about the severity of the alert and recommended actions
- Compliance reports: Summaries of FIM activity, demonstrating adherence to regulatory requirements (for example, PCI DSS, HIPAA) that mandate file integrity checks
Examples of file integrity monitoring data include:
- Configuration file change
- Executable file modification
- New file added on a web server
- Registry key change on Windows
In examples like these, FIM data provides an audit trail of changes, enabling security teams to quickly identify and respond to potential threats or deviations from a secure baseline.