18.8.22.1.2 Ensure 'Turn off handwriting personalization data sharing' is set to 'Enabled'

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Information

This setting turns off data sharing from the handwriting recognition personalization tool.

The handwriting recognition personalization tool enables Tablet PC users to adapt handwriting recognition to their own writing style by providing writing samples. The tool can optionally share user writing samples with Microsoft to improve handwriting recognition in future versions of Windows. The tool generates reports and transmits them to Microsoft over a secure connection.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled.

Rationale:

A person's handwriting is Personally Identifiable Information (PII), especially when it comes to your signature. As such, it is unacceptable in many environments to automatically upload PII to a website without explicit approval by the user.

Impact:

Tablet PC users cannot choose to share writing samples from the handwriting recognition personalization tool with Microsoft.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Enabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Internet Communication Management\Internet Communication settings\Turn off handwriting personalization data sharing

Note: This Group Policy path may not exist by default. It is provided by the Group Policy template ShapeCollector.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates (or newer).

Default Value:

Tablet PC users can choose whether or not they want to share their writing samples from the handwriting recognition personalization tool with Microsoft.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3865