EventSentry File Monitoring vs FileAudit

EventSentry File Monitoring tracks file additions and removals, size and SHA-256 checksum changes, and transaction-log tampering. It can gather digital certificates and entropy, which may help detect certain ransomware outbreaks. Changes can be logged to the Application event log with customizable severity and previous and new sizes or checksums. The current status of monitored files can be consolidated in the EventSentry database for comparisons across computers.

Notifications and integrations can go to email, MSSQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL or Oracle databases, HTTP(S), Syslog, SNMP traps, and executable processes. Exported text event logs can be cryptographically signed and timestamped to help identify tampering. EventSentry says its file integrity monitoring helps with PCI requirement 11.5. The full edition is an on-premise perpetual license listed at $85 per Windows device; EventSentry Light is free for five machines. A 30-day trial is listed. The feature is listed for Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, while the detailed supported operating-system list names Windows versions from NT 4 SP6 through Server 2025.

FileAudit monitors, alerts on, and reports access to files and folders across Windows file servers and supported cloud storage. On Windows, it records access events in real time and associates them with user accounts, IP addresses, and machine names. Alerts can flag denied access, deletions, or mass file events; predefined PowerShell scripts can be configured to block or log off a user. Reports cover NTFS permissions, permission changes, ownership, and file or folder properties. Cloud auditing is an add-on for services including OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox Business, and Box. It reads provider audit logs and collects activity metadata rather than file contents; connected services need a supported subscription plan and administrator authorization. Deployment is agentless, so the software need not be installed on the Windows server under audit. Reports are described as supporting GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS. Requirements include Windows Server 2012 R2 or later, Windows 8.1 or later, and .NET Framework 4. The trial lasts 20 days and is limited to three servers. Pricing is based on an annual subscription determined by users and systems audited.