How can auditing for mailbox access be enabled in Exchange?

Enabling auditing for mailbox access in Exchange is achieved by configuring mailbox audit logging through the Exchange Management Shell. This method allows administrators to specify detailed parameters for what actions should be audited and which types of access should generate audit logs.

Using the Exchange Management Shell provides a comprehensive command-line interface where various settings can be customized. For example, administrators can enable or disable audit logging for specific mailboxes, define what actions should be monitored (such as mail read or mail deleted), and set up logging for both successful and failed access attempts. This level of control is essential for compliance and security monitoring purposes.

While Outlook's built-in security features, setting up alerts in the Exchange Admin Center, or installing third-party auditing tools may provide additional security and monitoring capabilities, they do not directly enable mailbox auditing in the same structured and detailed way as using the Exchange Management Shell. Therefore, these alternative methods do not achieve the same outcome regarding mailbox access auditing.