Identity activity review is the process of checking user, administrator, and service-account logins for suspicious behavior. Analysts look at sign-in records, MFA challenges, password resets, privilege changes, new device access, and unusual locations or times. The goal is to spot accounts that may have been stolen, abused, or misconfigured.
In cyber security, this matters because many attacks start with valid credentials rather than malware. If an attacker logs in with a real account, they may bypass perimeter defenses and move quietly through email, cloud apps, or remote access systems. An identity activity review helps defenders find those early signs, confirm whether access was legitimate, and narrow the scope of response after an alert, breach claim, or ransomware listing.