4647 Security log · Logon/Logoff info severity medium volume

Windows Event ID 4647 — User initiated logoff

A user explicitly initiated an interactive logoff. Precedes 4634 for interactive sessions.

Why event 4647 matters

Minimal threat relevance. Absence for a long-running interactive session may indicate a session left open for persistence.

How to detect it

Use to build session timelines. No standalone alerting.

Log source
Security
Advanced Audit Policy — enable the 'Logon/Logoff' subcategory (Success and/or Failure).
Fields to pivot on
SubjectUserNameTargetUserNameLogonTypeIpAddressWorkstationName

Detection queries

Starting points — adapt the log source, projected fields and thresholds for your environment.

Sentinel / Defender KQL
SecurityEvent
| where EventID == 4647   // User initiated logoff
| project TimeGenerated, Computer, SubjectUserName, TargetUserName, LogonType, IpAddress, WorkstationName
| sort by TimeGenerated desc
Splunk SPL
index=* sourcetype="WinEventLog:Security" EventCode=4647
| stats count earliest(_time) as first_seen latest(_time) as last_seen by ComputerName
| sort - count   `# User initiated logoff — add EventData fields: SubjectUserName, TargetUserName, LogonType, IpAddress`
Hunt event 4647 in Sentinel/Defender →
Build a KQL query for this event in the KQL Query Builder.
Search all event IDs →
Open the interactive Windows Event ID lookup.

Related Logon/Logoff events

4624 An account was successfully logged on 4625 An account failed to log on 4626 User/Device claims information 4627 Group membership information 4634 An account was logged off 4648 A logon was attempted using explicit credentials 4649 A replay attack was detected 4672 Special privileges assigned to new logon 4778 A session was reconnected to a Window Station 4779 A session was disconnected from a Window Station 4800 The workstation was locked 4801 The workstation was unlocked

Frequently asked questions

What is Windows Event ID 4647?

User initiated logoff. A user explicitly initiated an interactive logoff. Precedes 4634 for interactive sessions.

Which log records event 4647?

Event 4647 is written to the Security channel by Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing. Advanced Audit Policy — enable the 'Logon/Logoff' subcategory (Success and/or Failure).

How do you detect activity around event 4647?

Use to build session timelines. No standalone alerting.