Which of the following Windows event is logged every time when a user tries to access the "Registry" key?

In Windows, Event ID 4656 is logged when a handle to an object is requested, which is the initial step in attempting to access it. When a user or process tries to access a registry key, this event is generated if object access auditing is enabled for that key. The event record contains critical information for a SOC analyst, including the name of the object being accessed (the registry key), the process ID of the requester, and the specific access rights being requested (e.g., read, write, delete). This makes it the primary event for tracking access attempts to registry keys.

B. 4663: This event logs the actual access or operation performed on an object after a handle has already been granted via the action logged in event 4656.
C. 4660: This event is generated specifically when an object is deleted, not for a general access attempt.
D. 4657: This event is specific to the modification of a registry value, which is a more granular action than accessing the key itself.

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2023). 4656(S, F): A handle to an object was requested. Microsoft Learn Documentation. This official vendor documentation explicitly states that this event is generated when a handle to a file system, kernel, or registry object is requested.

2. Microsoft Corporation. (2023). Audit Registry. Microsoft Learn Documentation. This document describes the advanced security audit policy setting required to generate events like 4656 for registry objects.