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Welcome to the new home for blogs & discussion around the Security Compliance Toolkit (SCT) and the Microsoft Security Baselines. Please bear with Aaron Margosis and me as we sort through the old content from the SecGuide TechNet blog and get it migrated over to here. This new platform will give us the ability to more easily collaborate with the community. Also, we heard your feedback, be on the lookout for a new DRAFT security baseline (coming very soon) that we have been working on… Office 365 ProPlus!Windows 10/11 22h2 Security Baseline missing in Intune
Hi, can you please enlighten when the Windows 10/11 Security Baseline will be updated to 22H2? The current baseline is of November 2021, I am sure that there are new recommedations in the new baseline ( Windows 10, version 22H2 Security baseline - Microsoft Community Hub ) that would be helpful while managing Windows in a more modern way. As an example, currently missing the 22H2 option "Allow Administrator account lockout" to manage it without the need of a GPO.
Security Baseline for Office 365 July 2017 DRAFT Feedback
A bit of feedback on the "Security baseline for Office 365 ProPlus (v1907, July 2019) - DRAFT" settings. For reference, I deployed the settings via Group Policy and my Office suite at the time was on version 1907 (Build 11901.20176). Macro Runtime Scan Scope With the "Macro Runtime Scan Scope" policy, I have had difficulties related to some built-in functionality in Access. When the Scan Scope is set to "Enable for all documents", and used at the same time as with Windows Defender Attack Surface Reduction, I seem to receive blocks against the "Block Win32 API calls from Office macro" (92E97FA1-2EDF-4476-BDD6-9DD0B4DDDC7B) rule from the .accde files within "C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\ROOT\OFFICE16\ACCWIZ". Example: Windows Defender Exploit Guard has blocked an operation that is not allowed by your IT administrator. For more information please contact your IT administrator. ID: 92E97FA1-2EDF-4476-BDD6-9DD0B4DDDC7B Detection time: 2019-08-12T23:08:11.700Z User: (unknown user) Path: C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\ROOT\OFFICE16\ACCWIZ\ACWZMAIN.ACCDE Process Name: OFFICE_VBA Security intelligence Version: 1.299.1840.0 Engine Version: 1.1.16200.1 Product Version: 4.18.1907.4 That particular event was a result of making a new local Access Database, putting 1 record in a table and then Create -> Query Wizard -> Simple Query Wizard -> OK. While I am not a fan of Access, we have a number of users who leverage the tool quite a bit and these blocks make Access "less than functional" to them. If I set the "Macro Runtime Scan Scope" back to my previously configured "Enable for low trust documents", the built-in Access functions work fine, since I have that specific folder added to Trusted Locations, as it is a default trusted location when the Office suite installs. Interestingly enough, adding exceptions to ASR for the respective folder or specific .accde does not work. (I also attempted a simultaneous Path exception to Windows Defender itself, with no luck.) I assume that this is a result of the way in which the data is passed to Windows Defender via AMSI due to the "Macro Runtime Scan Scope", which perhaps makes it difficult/impossible to make exclusions. Excel File Block prevents copy/paste from Access On a somewhat different note, the file block settings setting "Excel 97-2003 workbooks and templates" which prevents Open/Save, conflicts with, again, Access. If you have query results, or a table you wish to cut and paste into Excel, the default paste mechanism seems to require the ability to open "Excel 97-2003 workbooks and templates". If you set the file block settings for that file type to "Save Blocked", the paste from Access to Excel will work. If you set it to another value other than "Do not block", the paste will fail and you will receive a warning that Excel 97-2003 files are blocked. If you choose an alternative paste method, such as "Paste Special -> Text" or "Paste, match destination formatting", it will work, but depending on the data in Access, there could be some clean up needed (leading zeroes could be stripped). The remaining difficulties my organization may have with file block settings will be a result of how we operate, and those we work with, but this particular instance seemed worthy of note, since it impacts what could be viewed as a standard workflow/interplay between two Microsoft developed applications. Hope the information is useful. If you can think of something I have overlooked that will allow these to work and enable me to tighten up the policies a bit more, please let me know.
TLS 1.1 is set as a recommended value in the latest security baseline
In the latest security baseline for Windows 11 24H2, the following item is set to "Use TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2," but could you please explain the reason for this? Download Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit 1.0 from Official Microsoft Download Center Windows Components\Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel\Advanced Page Turn off encryption support Enabled: Use TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 Generally, I believe TLS 1.1 should no longer be used, and that using "TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3" would be better from a security standpoint.Edge - Bypass HTTPS Warning Page
In the latest security baselines for Microsoft Edge v81, the setting "Allow users to proceed from the HTTPS warning page" is recommended to set as Disabled. Setting to Disabled prevents users from clicking through warning pages about invalid SSL certificates. With this setting in place, users are prevented from accessing sites with expired SSL certificates, often due to an administrator forgetting to renew it. This happens fairly often to sites/services on the Internet, which of course is something my company cannot control. For example, earlier this year https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/3/21120248/microsoft-teams-down-outage-certificate-issue-status. I can imagine this recommended setting has potential to cause a significant problem for organizations if users are unable to access a critical site because they are unable to bypass the SSL warning. That leads me to a few questions: Given the risk of this setting blocking access to sites, why is this a recommended setting? Does Microsoft have this setting set to "Disabled" internally? Are any workarounds available for allowing bypass to specific sites, including when a certificate has expired? Some hotel Wi-Fi Internet access is only accessible after logging in via a captive portal page, which is sometimes hosted internally on RFC1918 private IP space and can not have a valid public certificate. How would users access the portal in order to connect to the Internet? Would they need to add the Certificate Authority to their Trusted Roots? I'm struggling to see how many companies could implement this setting without increasing the risk of an outage by being unable to access a critical site.
Start strong with MCSB v2
Cloud adoption is accelerating, but so are threats. Organizations often rush to deploy workloads without a clear security baseline, leaving critical gaps that attackers can exploit. Enter Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark (MCSB) v2, now in public preview, designed to help you start well-protected and evolve securely. What Is Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark v2? MCSB v2 is a comprehensive set of best practices and controls for securing cloud resources across Azure and hybrid environments. It aligns with: Industry standards: NIST, CIS, ISO Microsoft Secure Future Initiative (SFI) Zero Trust principles This benchmark provides prescriptive guidance for identity, network, data, and workload security helping organizations establish a strong foundation before customizing for their unique needs. Security Domains in MCSB v2 The benchmark organizes guidance into security domains, each representing a critical area of cloud security: Identity Management MFA enforcement, Conditional Access, privileged identity management. Network Security Segmentation, firewall rules, private endpoints. Data Protection Encryption at rest and in transit, key management. Asset Management Resource inventory, tagging, and governance. Logging & Monitoring Centralized logging, alerting, and SIEM integration. Incident Response Playbooks, automation, and escalation workflows. Application Security Secure coding practices, vulnerability scanning. Compliance & Governance Policy enforcement, regulatory alignment. Security Control Structure Each control in MCSB v2 follows a structured format for clarity and implementation: Control ID: Unique identifier for tracking. Control Name: Descriptive title (e.g., “Enable MFA for all users”). Control Category: Maps to a security domain. Control Objective: What the control aims to achieve. Implementation Guidance: Detailed steps for configuration. Azure Policy Mapping: Built-in policy definitions for automation. References: Links to Microsoft Learn and industry standards. This structure ensures consistency, traceability and ease of adoption across large environments. Integration with Azure Policy & Defender for Cloud One of the most powerful aspects of MCSB v2 is its native integration with Azure governance and security tools: Azure Policy Pre-built policy initiatives mapped to MCSB controls. Enables policy-as-code for automated enforcement across subscriptions. Supports compliance dashboards for visibility and reporting. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Monitors compliance against MCSB controls in real time. Provides secure score and recommendations for remediation. Integrates with workflows for alerting and automation. How to Get Started Review the Benchmark Explore the full guidance here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/overview Apply Built-In Policies Use Azure Policy initiatives mapped to MCSB controls for quick enforcement. Monitor Compliance Leverage Microsoft Defender for Cloud to track adherence and remediate gaps. Tune for Your Needs Start with the baseline, then customize based on workload sensitivity and business requirements. Best Practices for Organizations Enable MFA and Conditional Access for all identities. Segment networks and enforce least privilege. Encrypt data at rest and in transit using Azure-native capabilities. Enable Defender for Cloud for continuous posture management. Automate compliance with policy-as-code. Cloud security isn’t static. Threats evolve, and so should your defenses. MCSB v2 gives you a future-ready foundation that scales with your business and integrates with Microsoft’s security ecosystem.Microsoft Zero Trust Assessment v2: Operationalizing Security with Precision
In an era where cyber threats evolve faster than ever, organizations can’t afford blind spots. Zero Trust is no longer optional it’s the foundation of modern security. With the release of the Microsoft Zero Trust Assessment v2, enterprises now have a powerful tool to measure, prioritize, and remediate security gaps with actionable intelligence. What Is Zero Trust Assessment v2? The Zero Trust Assessment is a security posture evaluation tool designed to help organizations operationalize Zero Trust principles. It automates checks across hundreds of configuration items aligned with: Secure Future Initiative (SFI) Zero Trust pillars: Identity, Devices, Applications, Data, Infrastructure and Networks Industry standards: NIST, CISA, CIS Microsoft’s internal security baselines Insights from thousands of real-world customer implementations How Does It Work? The assessment follows a structured, automated workflow: 1. Data Collection & Configuration Analysis Scans your Microsoft 365 environment and connected workloads. Evaluates identity configurations (e.g., MFA enforcement, conditional access policies). Reviews device compliance (e.g., Intune policies, OS hardening). Pulls telemetry from Azure AD, Microsoft Defender, and other integrated services. 2. Automated Testing Against Standards Runs hundreds of tests mapped to Zero Trust principles. Benchmarks your settings against: NIST Cybersecurity Framework CISA Zero Trust Maturity Model Microsoft security baselines Flags misconfigurations and policy gaps. 3. Risk Scoring & Prioritization Assigns risk levels based on: Impact (how critical the gap is) Effort (complexity of remediation) Provides a prioritized list of actions so you can focus on what matters most. 4. Actionable Recommendations Generates clear remediation steps not vague advice. Links to Microsoft Learn and security documentation for quick implementation. Suggests policy templates and automation scripts where applicable. 5. Comprehensive Reporting Delivers a detailed report with: Trends over time Risk heatmaps Compliance scores Enables executive dashboards for leadership visibility. Integration with Microsoft Security Tools Zero Trust Assessment v2 doesn’t operate in isolation it integrates seamlessly with Microsoft’s security ecosystem: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Detects device vulnerabilities and feeds compliance data into the assessment. Microsoft Intune Ensures device configuration policies align with Zero Trust principles. Microsoft Sentinel Correlates assessment findings with threat intelligence for proactive incident response. Azure AD Conditional Access Validates identity policies like MFA and session controls. Microsoft Purview Extends Zero Trust to data governance and compliance. This integration ensures that remediation steps can be automated and enforced across your environment, reducing manual effort and accelerating security posture improvement. Sample Remediation Workflow Diagram Below is a simplified view of how remediation flows after an assessment: This closed-loop process ensures continuous improvement and operationalization of Zero Trust. Key Benefits Speed: Automates what used to take weeks of manual audits. Accuracy: Aligns with global standards and Microsoft’s own security posture. Operationalization: Moves Zero Trust from theory to practice with actionable steps. Future-Ready: Tests will soon be available enabling continuous improvement. Why This Matters Blind spots in identity or device security can lead to breaches, financial loss and reputational damage. Zero Trust Assessment v2 helps you: Respond faster to evolving threats. Reduce risk with prioritized remediation. Build resilience by embedding Zero Trust principles into daily operations.
