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.Security Review for Microsoft Edge version 142
We have reviewed the new settings in Microsoft Edge version 142 and determined that there are no additional security settings that require enforcement. The Microsoft Edge version 139 security baseline continues to be our recommended configuration which can be downloaded from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit. Microsoft Edge version 142 introduced 5 new Computer and User settings; we have included a spreadsheet listing the new settings to make it easier for you to find. As a friendly reminder, all available settings for Microsoft Edge are documented here, and all available settings for Microsoft Edge Update are documented here. Please continue to give us feedback through the Security Baselines Discussion site or this post.Security Review for Microsoft Edge version 141
We have reviewed the new settings in Microsoft Edge version 141 and determined that there are no additional security settings that require enforcement. The Microsoft Edge version 139 security baseline continues to be our recommended configuration which can be downloaded from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit. Microsoft Edge version 141 introduced 6 new Computer and User settings; we have included a spreadsheet listing the new settings to make it easier for you to find. As a friendly reminder, all available settings for Microsoft Edge are documented here, and all available settings for Microsoft Edge Update are documented here. Please continue to give us feedback through the Security Baselines Discussion site or this post.Windows 11, version 25H2 security baseline
Microsoft is pleased to announce the security baseline package for Windows 11, version 25H2! You can download the baseline package from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit, test the recommended configurations in your environment, and customize / implement them as appropriate. Summary of changes This release includes several changes made since the Windows 11, version 24H2 security baseline to further assist in the security of enterprise customers, to include better alignment with the latest capabilities and standards. The changes include what is depicted in the table below. Security Policy Change Summary Printer: Impersonate a client after authentication Add “RESTRICTED SERVICES\PrintSpoolerService” to allow the Print Spooler’s restricted service identity to impersonate clients securely NTLM Auditing Enhancements Enable by default to improve visibility into NTLM usage within your environment MDAV: Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) Add "Block process creations originating from PSExec and WMI commands" (d1e49aac-8f56-4280-b9ba-993a6d77406c) with a recommended value of 2 (Audit) to improve visibility into suspicious activity MDAV: Control whether exclusions are visible to local users Move to Not Configured as it is overridden by the parent setting MDAV: Scan packed executables Remove from the baseline because the setting is no longer functional - Windows always scans packed executables by default Network: Configure NetBIOS settings Disable NetBIOS name resolution on all network adapters to reduce legacy protocol exposure Disable Internet Explorer 11 Launch Via COM Automation Disable to prevent legacy scripts and applications from programmatically launching Internet Explorer 11 using COM automation interfaces Include command line in process creation events Enable to improve visibility into how processes are executed across the system WDigest Authentication Remove from the baseline because the setting is obsolete - WDigest is disabled by default and no longer needed in modern Windows environments Printer Improving Print Security with IPPS and Certificate Validation To enhance the security of network printing, Windows introduces two new policies focused on controlling the use of IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) printers and enforcing encrypted communications. The setting, "Require IPPS for IPP printers", (Administrative Templates\Printers) determines whether printers that do not support TLS are allowed to be installed. When this policy is disabled (default), both IPP and IPPS transport printers can be installed - although IPPS is preferred when both are available. When enabled, only IPPS printers will be installed; attempts to install non-compliant printers will fail and generate an event in the Application log, indicating that installation was blocked by policy. The second policy, "Set TLS/SSL security policy for IPP printers" (same policy path) requires that printers present valid and trusted TLS/SSL certificates before connections can be established. Enabling this policy defends against spoofed or unauthorized printers, reducing the risk of credential theft or redirection of sensitive print jobs. While these policies significantly improve security posture, enabling them may introduce operational challenges in environments where IPP and self-signed or locally issued certificates are still commonly used. For this reason, neither policy is enforced in the security baseline, at this time. We recommend that you assess your printers, and if they meet the requirements, consider enabling those policies with a remediation plan to address any non-compliant printers in a controlled and predictable manner. User Rights Assignment Update: Impersonate a client after authentication We have added RESTRICTED SERVICES\PrintSpoolerService in the “Impersonate a client after authentication” User Rights Assignment policy. The baseline already includes Administrators, SERVICE, LOCAL SERVICE, and NETWORK SERVICE for this user right. Adding the restricted Print Spooler supports Microsoft’s ongoing effort to apply least privilege to system services. It enables Print Spooler to securely impersonate user tokens in modern print scenarios using a scoped, restricted service identity. Although this identity is associated with functionality introduced as part of Windows Protected Print (WPP), it is required to support proper print operations even if WPP is not currently enabled. The system manifests the identity by default, and its presence ensures forward compatibility with WPP-based printing. Note: This account may appear as a raw SID (e.g., S-1-5-99-...) in Group Policy or local policy tools before the service is fully initialized. This is expected and does not indicate a misconfiguration. Warning: Removing this entry will result in print failures in environments where WPP is enabled. We recommend retaining this entry in any custom security configuration that defines this user right. NTLM Auditing Enhancements Windows 11, version 25H2 includes enhanced NTLM auditing capabilities, enabled by default, which significantly improves visibility into NTLM usage within your environment. These enhancements provide detailed audit logs to help security teams monitor and investigate authentication activity, identify insecure practices, and prepare for future NTLM restrictions. Since these auditing improvements are enabled by default, no additional configuration is required, and thus the baseline does not explicitly enforce them. For more details, see Overview of NTLM auditing enhancements in Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025. Microsoft Defender Antivirus Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) In this release, we've updated the Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules to add the policy Block process creations originating from PSExec and WMI commands (d1e49aac-8f56-4280-b9ba-993a6d77406c) with a recommended value of 2 (Audit). By auditing this rule, you can gain essential visibility into potential privilege escalation attempts via tools such as PSExec or persistence mechanisms using WMI. This enhancement helps organizations proactively identify suspicious activities without impacting legitimate administrative workflows. Control whether exclusions are visible to local users We have removed the configuration for the policy "Control whether exclusions are visible to local users" (Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus) from the baseline in this release. This change was made because the parent policy "Control whether or not exclusions are visible to Local Admins" is already set to Enabled, which takes precedence and effectively overrides the behavior of the former setting. As a result, explicitly configuring the child policy is unnecessary. You can continue to manage exclusion visibility through the parent policy, which provides the intended control over whether local administrators can view exclusion lists. Scan packed executables The “Scan packed executables” setting (Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan) has been removed from the security baseline because it is no longer functional in modern Windows releases. Microsoft Defender Antivirus always scans packed executables by default, therefore configuring this policy has no effect on the system. Disable NetBIOS Name Resolution on All Networks In this release, we start disabling NetBIOS name resolution on all network adapters in the security baseline, including those connected to private and domain networks. The change is reflected in the policy setting “Configure NetBIOS settings” (Network\DNS Client). We are trying to eliminate the legacy name resolution protocol that is vulnerable to spoofing and credential theft. NetBIOS is no longer needed in modern environments where DNS is fully deployed and supported. To mitigate potential compatibility issues, you should ensure that all internal systems and applications use DNS for name resolution. We recommend the following; test critical workflows in a staging environment prior to deployment, monitor for any resolution failures or fallback behavior, and inform support staff of the change to assist with troubleshooting as needed. This update aligns with our broader efforts to phase out legacy protocols and improve security. Disable Internet Explorer 11 Launch Via COM Automation To enhance the security posture of enterprise environments, we recommend disabling Internet Explorer 11 Launch Via COM Automation (Windows Components\Internet Explorer) to prevent legacy scripts and applications from programmatically launching Internet Explorer 11 using COM automation interfaces such as CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application"). Allowing such behavior poses a significant risk by exposing systems to the legacy MSHTML and ActiveX components, which are vulnerable to exploitation. Include command line in process creation events We have enabled the setting "Include command line in process creation events" (System\Audit Process Creation) in the baseline to improve visibility into how processes are executed across the system. Capturing command-line arguments allows defenders to detect and investigate malicious activity that may otherwise appear legitimate, such as abuse of scripting engines, credential theft tools, or obfuscated payloads using native binaries. This setting supports modern threat detection techniques with minimal performance overhead and is highly recommended. WDigest Authentication We removed the policy "WDigest Authentication (disabling may require KB2871997)" from the security baseline because it is no longer necessary for Windows. This policy was originally enforced to prevent WDigest from storing user’s plaintext passwords in memory, which posed a serious credential theft risk. However, starting with 24H2 update, the engineering teams deprecated this policy. As a result, there is no longer a need to explicitly enforce this setting, and the policy has been removed from the baseline to reflect the current default behavior. Since the setting does not write to the normal policies location in the registry it will not be cleaned up automatically for any existing deployments. Please let us know your thoughts by commenting on this post or through the Security Baseline Community.Security Review for Microsoft Edge version 140
We have reviewed the new settings in Microsoft Edge version 140 and determined that there are no additional security settings that require enforcement. The Microsoft Edge version 139 security baseline continues to be our recommended configuration which can be downloaded from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit. Microsoft Edge version 140 introduced 7 new Computer and 6 new User settings, we have included a spreadsheet listing the new settings to make it easier for you to find. As a friendly reminder, all available settings for Microsoft Edge are documented here, and all available settings for Microsoft Edge Update are documented here. Please continue to give us feedback through the Security Baselines Discussion site or this post.Security baseline for Microsoft Edge version 139
We have reviewed the settings in Microsoft Edge version 139 and updated our guidance with the addition of one setting and the removal of one setting. A new Microsoft Edge security baseline package was just released to the Download Center. You can download the new package from the Security Compliance Toolkit. Allow software WebGL fallback using SwiftShader (Added) The EnableUnsafeSwiftShaderpolicy controls whether SwiftShader is used as a fallback for WebGL when hardware GPU acceleration is disabled or unavailable. SwiftShader, a software-based renderer, was used to enable WebGL support in environments lacking GPU acceleration, such as virtual machines. However, its continued use poses potential risks, whereby malicious web content could exploit vulnerabilities in the renderer. Due to the potential risks, we have decided to enforce the default and disable this setting. Edge for Business Connectors (Worth Mentioning) The new Edge for Business security connectors feature introduces a powerful framework that integrates the browser directly with your organization’s existing security stack covering authentication, data loss prevention (DLP), and reporting. By enabling real-time device trust validation, seamless DLP enforcement, and unified browser-based telemetry, these connectors help close critical gaps in enterprise security while extending the value of your current investments. Additional information can be found on the landing page. The following settings have been removed due to deprecation: Microsoft Edge/Private Network Request Settings/Specifies whether to allow websites to make requests to any network endpoint in an insecure manner. Microsoft Edge version 139 introduces 6 new computer settings and 6 new user settings. We have included a spreadsheet listing the new settings in the release to make it easier for you to find them. As a friendly reminder, all available settings for Microsoft Edge are documented here, and all available settings for Microsoft Edge Update are documented here. Please continue to give us feedback through the Security Baseline Community or in comments on this post.
Server 2025 Security Baseline breaks Failover Cluster
Hello everyone, while testing the Server 2025 Security Baseline with our Hyper-V Hosts in a Failover Cluster, we noticed the Cluster Service (ClusSvc) was unable to start correctly. It failed with Event 7024 - "A specified authentication package is unknown". From testing and the event logs, we noticed that the .dll file "CLUSAUTHMGR.DLL" was unable to load. After setting "Allow Custom SSPs and APs to be loaded into LSASS" to "Disabled", we were able to start the service again. I assume that the cluster auth manager .dll is not recognized as a trusted Microsoft SSP/AP and therefore blocked as "custom" when enabling this setting. Has anyone tested this using Hyper-V clusters and/or made similar observations? (P.S.: Before debugging, we should have googled, since apparently we are not the only one to have this issue: https://jigsolving.com/failover-cluster-service-wont-start-server-2025/Security Review for Microsoft Edge version 138
We have reviewed the new settings in Microsoft Edge version 138 and determined that there are no additional security settings that require enforcement. The Microsoft Edge version 128 security baseline, which can be downloaded from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit, continues to be our recommended configuration. Microsoft Edge version 138 introduces 6 new Computer and User settings and we have included a spreadsheet listing the new settings. There are two settings we would like to highlight for consideration as they enabling previewing behavior that will be enabled by default in a future release. Control whether TLS 1.3 Early Data is enabled in Microsoft Edge This setting allows enterprises to control whether the browser uses TLS 1.3 Early Data, a performance feature that sends HTTPS requests in parallel with the TLS handshake. This setting allows for faster use of secure connections. Enterprise customers are encouraged to test to identify any compatibility issues prior to the enablement. Specifies whether to block requests from public websites to devices on a user's local network This setting helps prevent malicious websites from probing or interacting with internal resources (i.e. printers, routers, or internal APIs), reducing the risk of lateral movement or data exposure. Enterprise customers are encouraged to test for any intentional requests from public to local devices. One thing to note on this policy setting is you may see a deprecation claim in the setting title. This was in error and will be corrected in a subsequent release. As a friendly reminder, all available settings for Microsoft Edge are documented here, and all available settings for Microsoft Edge Update are documented here. Please continue to give us feedback through the Security Baselines Discussion site or this post.Security baseline for Windows Server 2025, version 2506
Microsoft is pleased to announce the June 2025 revision of the security baseline package for Windows Server 2025 (v2506)! You can download the baseline package from the Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit, test the recommended configurations in your environment, and customize / implement them as appropriate. Starting with this release, we plan to revise the Windows Server baseline more frequently to keep pace with evolving threats, new Windows features, and community feedback. Summary of Changes in This Release (v2506) This release includes several changes made since the last release of the security baseline for Windows Server 2025 in January 2025 to further assist in the security of enterprise customers along with better aligning with the latest standards. The changes include what is now depicted in the table below. Security Policy Change Summary Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services Allow remote logon for non-admin local accounts on MS and add “BUILTIN\Guests” to both DC and MS. WDigest Authentication Remove from the baseline Allow Windows Ink Workspace Remove from the baseline Audit Authorization Policy Change Set to “Success” in both DC and MS Include command line in process creation events Enable in both DC and MS Control whether exclusions are visible to local users Moved to Not Configured as it is overridden by the parent setting. Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services We updated SeDenyRemoteInteractiveLogonRight on member servers to use S-1-5-114 (Local account and member of Administrators group) instead of S-1-5-113 (all local accounts) to strike a better balance between security and operational flexibility. This change continues to block remote RDP access for high-risk local admin accounts—our primary threat vector—while enabling legitimate use cases for non-admin local accounts, such as remote troubleshooting and maintenance during failover or domain unavailability. By allowing non-admin local accounts to log on interactively, we preserve a secure recovery path without weakening protection for privileged accounts. In addition, to strengthen the Remote Desktop Services (RDS) posture on both Windows Server 2025 Domain Controllers and Member Servers, we added the Guests group to the "Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services" policy. While the Guest account is disabled by default, explicitly denying its RDP access adds a defense-in-depth measure that helps prevent misuse if the group is ever enabled or misconfigured. This complements the existing restriction on Local Account logon for DCs and helps ensure a consistent security posture across server roles. WDigest Authentication We removed the policy "WDigest Authentication (disabling may require KB2871997)" from the security baseline because it is no longer necessary for Windows Server 2025. This policy was originally enforced to prevent WDigest from storing users plaintext passwords in memory, which posed a serious credential theft risk. However, starting with 24H2 update (KB5041160) for Windows Server 2022 and continuing into Windows Server 2025, the engineering teams have deprecated this policy. As a result, there is no longer a need to explicitly enforce this setting, and the policy has been removed from the baseline to reflect the current default behavior. Allow Windows Ink Workspace We removed the policy “Allow Windows Ink Workspace” from the Windows Server 2025 security baseline. This policy applies only to Windows client editions and is not available on Windows Server. Including it in the baseline caused confusion removing an unnecessary setting from the baseline reduces GPO processing time and helps ensure all recommended settings are applicable for the Windows Server environment. Audit Authorization Policy Change We set Audit Authorization Policy Change (Success) on the baseline for both Domain Controllers and Member Servers to ensure visibility into any changes that affect the system’s security posture, including modifications to user rights and audit policies. These changes directly impact how access is granted and how activity is monitored, making them critical to detect for both security and compliance purposes. Logging successful changes helps identify misconfigurations, unauthorized privilege assignments, or malicious tampering — especially in cases of lateral movement or privilege escalation. Because these events occur infrequently, they generate minimal log volume while offering high forensic and operational value. While Failure auditing is not set, it is available as an optional setting on both Domain Controllers and Member Servers for organizations that have the monitoring capability to interpret and act on failed attempts to modify security policies. This provides an added layer of visibility in high-assurance or tightly controlled environments. Include command line in process creation events We added Include command line in process creation events in the baseline to improve visibility into how processes are executed across the system. Capturing command-line arguments allows defenders to detect and investigate malicious activity that may otherwise appear legitimate, such as abuse of scripting engines, credential theft tools, or obfuscated payloads using native binaries. This setting supports modern threat detection techniques with minimal performance overhead and is widely recommended. Visibility of Microsoft Defender Antivirus Exclusions We updated the configuration for the policy "Control whether exclusions are visible to local users" (Computer Configuration\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus) to Not Configured in this release. This change was made because the parent policy "Control whether or not exclusions are visible to Local Admins" is already set to Enabled, which takes precedence and effectively overrides the behavior of the former setting. As a result, explicitly configuring the child policy is unnecessary and may introduce confusion without impacting actual behavior. You can continue to manage exclusion visibility through the parent policy, which provides the intended control over whether local administrators can view exclusion lists. UEFI Lock and Virtualization-Based Protections In Windows, some security features are protected by Secure Boot and the TPM. When combined with firmware protections that lock UEFI configuration variables, these protections become tamper-resistant: Windows can detect and respond to unauthorized hardware changes or tamper attempts, making it significantly harder for attackers to disable key security features after deployment. In the Windows Server 2025 security baseline, two policy categories are configured to take advantage of UEFI lock: Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) — managed via the policy: System\Device Guard\Turn On Virtualization Based Security Local Security Authority (LSA) Protection — managed via the policy: System\Local Security Authority\Configure LSASS to run as a protected process While there are no changes to the recommended settings for these policies in this release, we want to highlight their role in strengthening system defenses and provide guidance to help you make informed deployment decisions. UEFI lock enforces these protections in a way that prevents local or remote tampering—even by administrators. This aligns with strong security requirements in sensitive or high-assurance environments. However, it also introduces important operational considerations: Some hardware platforms may not fully support UEFI lock Compatibility issues, reduced performance, or system instability may occur Once enabled, UEFI lock is difficult to reverse Please let us know your thoughts by commenting on this post or through the Security Baseline Community.
