Detections
Analytics

18.9.5.1 (NG) Ensure 'Turn On Virtualization Based Security' is set to 'Enabled'

Warning! Audit Deprecated

This audit has been deprecated and will be removed in a future update.

View Next Audit Version

Information

This policy setting specifies whether Virtualization Based Security is enabled. Virtualization Based Security uses the Windows Hypervisor to provide support for security services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Enabled

Note: Virtualization Based Security requires a 64-bit version of Windows with Secure Boot enabled, which in turn requires that Windows was installed with a UEFI BIOS configuration, not a Legacy BIOS configuration. In addition, if running Windows on a virtual machine, the hardware-assisted CPU virtualization feature (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) must be exposed by the host to the guest VM.

More information on system requirements for this feature can be found at

Windows Defender Credential Guard Requirements (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

Note #2: Credential Guard and Device Guard are not currently supported when using Azure IaaS VMs.

Note #3: If implementing Virtualization Based Security (in Microsoft Defender Application Guard) with the Next Generation Windows Security (NGWS) profile, the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) (SharedAccess) service must not be Disabled (from Section 5).

Note #4: If the Level 2 recommendation to configure

Log on as a service

(from Section 2.2) is implemented, the additional security principal WDAGUtilityAccount must also be granted that User Right Assignment in order for Virtualization Based Security (in Microsoft Defender Application Guard) with the Next Generation Windows Security (NGWS) profile to function.

Kerberos, NTLM, and Credential manager isolate secrets by using virtualization-based security. Previous versions of Windows stored secrets in the Local Security Authority (LSA). Prior to Windows 10, the LSA stored secrets used by the operating system in its process memory. With Windows Defender Credential Guard enabled, the LSA process in the operating system talks to a new component called the isolated LSA process that stores and protects those secrets. Data stored by the isolated LSA process is protected using virtualization-based security and is not accessible to the rest of the operating system.

Solution

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

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template DeviceGuard.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 RTM (Release 1507) Administrative Templates (or newer).

Impact:

Warning: All drivers on the system must be compatible with this feature or the system may crash. Ensure that this policy setting is only deployed to computers which are known to be compatible.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/16514

Item Details

References: CSCv7|8.3

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: c1a62316fd1660a06b463323d4ff3049b41ad07aa8bc3257c41a5dc4f2e71f08