9.3.4 Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Display a notification' is set to 'No'

Information

Select this option to have Windows Firewall with Advanced Security display notifications to the user when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.

The recommended state for this setting is: No.

Rationale:

Some organizations may prefer to avoid alarming users when firewall rules block certain types of network activity. However, notifications can be helpful when troubleshooting network issues involving the firewall.

Impact:

Windows Firewall will not display a notification when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to 'No':

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Windows Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Firewall with Advanced Security\Windows Firewall Properties\Public Profile\Settings Customize\Display a notification

Default Value:

Yes. (Windows Firewall with Advanced Security will display a notification when a program is blocked from receiving inbound connections.)

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/14249

Item Details

Category: SECURITY ASSESSMENT AND AUTHORIZATION, CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT

References: 800-53|CA-3, 800-53|CA-9, 800-53|CM-3, CCE|CCE-33068-8, CSCv7|11.2, CSCv7|11.3

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: 502637068bf82724d5544978db2d1bf31ee7d6aca16c1d7fadd51c371ec7896b