CIS Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise Release 1909 Benchmark

9.3.4 (L1) Ensure 'Windows Firewall: Public: Settings: Display a notification' is set to 'No' (Scored)

ProfileApplicability:

 Level 1 (L1) - Corporate/Enterprise Environment (general use)

Description:

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.

Audit:

Navigate to the UI Path articulated in the Remediation section and confirm it is set as prescribed. This group policy setting is backed by the following registry location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\PublicProfile: DisableNotifications

Remediation:

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

Impact:

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

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