Change attribution is the ability to connect a detected file change to its source, such as a user, process, host, or other activity. In file integrity monitoring (FIM), it adds context to an alert that would otherwise show only that a file was added, deleted, or modified.
This context helps security teams distinguish approved maintenance or software deployment from suspicious activity and investigate changes more efficiently. In real environments, defenders can compare attribution details with expected processes, maintenance windows, or change records. Attribution does not by itself prove that a change was authorized, but it gives analysts useful evidence for deciding what to investigate and how to respond.