Automated NTFS Permissions Reporter

Windows uses NTFS to store and organize files. It was first released by Microsoft in 1993 as part of Windows NT 3.1 and has since been the primary file system for Windows OS. It is also supported in Linux OS, and macOS has read-only NTFS support.

NTFS can be used across spinning-disk drives, solid-state drives, USBs, and similar storage devices. Compared to the previous FAT32 file system, NTFS can offer better metadata support, more efficient data structuring, and improved overall reliability. NTFS can restore file system consistency after a system failure and tag bad sectors so they aren’t used. The NTFS file system also supports large partition sizes while controlling storage space based on disk quotas.

NTFS is a journaling file system that logs information for files that have been added, removed, or modified. Files created with NTFS have both data (content) and metadata (a description of characteristics). Since any drive formatted with NTFS includes NTFS permissions, admins often use NTFS to control and manage access to files, folders, containers, and other objects on the network to support their system security efforts.

Understanding and properly implementing NTFS permissions is important to prevent access control issues. NTFS permissions allow admins to limit user access to specific files, folders, directories, containers, and objects within Microsoft Windows environments.

Admins can manually change NTFS permissions by allowing or denying permission types under Group or User Names in the Security tab of an object’s Properties menu.

It’s best to assign permissions by Active Directory group rather than individual users. Ensure users are in the correct user group, then appropriately set NTFS permissions for each group.

NTFS access permissions categories include:

• Full control: This gives users full permission to add, move, or delete files, plus the ability to modify their properties. Additionally, users can change the settings for associated permissions.
• Read and execute: Users can run executable files and scripts.
• Modify: Users can modify files and their characteristics and add or delete files.
• Read: Users can only view files and their properties.
• Write: Users can write to a file or add files to folders.

However, making manual changes and setting NTFS permissions for every directory can take valuable time. An NTFS permissions report tool or NTFS permissions analyzer can help.

User rights apply to user accounts, which can include individual users or groups. NTFS permissions are attached to objects. However, when users attempt to access objects, their level of access can be controlled by both user rights and NTFS permissions.

For example, NTFS permissions for a specific file may only allow Read access for Group 1, so users assigned to Group 1 will inherit the group's rights and only have Read access to that file.

NTFS permissions report tools gather data from across your file system, tracking permissions settings for relevant files and folders. IT admins are often tasked with providing a list of share permissions granted to individual users and various groups. Without the help of an automated tool, this task can require hours of manual effort and be prone to errors.

An NTFS permissions tool can allow admins to automatically monitor NTFS permissions, Active Directory, and Group Policy. These reports help admins see who has access to which resources, when access occurred, and what activity took place. An NTFS permissions analyzer can also provide an overview of current permissions settings to help flag insecure or misconfigured settings.

ARM enables you to run various reports to demonstrate compliance and monitor security, including NTFS permissions reports and Active Directory folder permissions reports. By utilizing the Documentation and Reporting section, admins can use out-of-the-box templates or create customizable reports by easily adding a report title and defining a range for the report and its settings.

Reports can show several key details depending on their focus. For example, ARM is designed to run reports for account details, inactive accounts, direct permissions, permission groups, “everyone” permissions, historical access rights, and much more. Additionally, ARM allows you to schedule reports to automatically run and be sent to managers, auditors, and other stakeholders. Admins can also leverage reports to trigger actions, such as automatically modifying or deleting permissions settings.

Using an NTFS permission reporter or NTFS permissions analyzer can provide your organization with many benefits. Notably, an NTFS permissions report tool can:

• Improve visibility and security: Using an NTFS permissions tool allows your organization to monitor and manage access to files and folders, helping ensure only authorized users and groups can access sensitive data.
• Simplify auditing and compliance: Offering an efficient way to audit file and folder permissions, NTFS permission reports can be vital for organizations that must adhere to regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX.
• Save time and energy: Manually reviewing permissions for multiple files or directories is not only tedious but also prone to errors. An NTFS permissions reporter automates this process and provides a clear, organized overview of permissions across the entire file system. This saves you time and effort, allowing you to quickly identify issues and make changes without navigating each folder individually.
• Improve risk management: Enabling teams to prioritize security improvements, an NTFS permissions analyzer can help identify potential risks.

Related Features:

• NTFS Permissions Management
• Active Directory Reporting Tool
• Active Directory Auditing Tool
• Active Directory Management Tool
• Active Directory Groups Management
• Active Directory Permissions Reporting
• Active Directory File Permissions
• OneDrive Permissions Monitoring
• SharePoint Permissions Management
• SharePoint Audit Tool
• Exchange Auditing Software
• Exchange Management Tool
• File Server Auditing

Related Tools:

• SolarWinds Security Event Manager
• SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted and Security Observability