This rule detects the potential abuse of the 'ntdsutil' tool, which is often used in malicious activities to dump the Active Directory database ('ntds.dit'). By monitoring Windows Event Logs for specific event IDs related to the ESENT provider, this detection mechanism identifies instances where the 'ntds.dit' file is accessed in potentially unauthorized ways. The monitored event IDs—216, 325, 326, and 327—are indicative of operations performed on the Active Directory, and the presence of the string 'ntds.dit' within the event data raises a flag for potential credential theft activities. This detection is crucial for early identification of misuse that could lead to data exfiltration and should be part of a comprehensive security posture against credential access attacks.