5.16 Ensure 'Peer Networking Identity Manager (p2pimsvc)' is set to 'Disabled'

Information

Provides identity services for the Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) and Peer-to-Peer Grouping services.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled.

Rationale:

Peer Name Resolution Protocol is a distributed and (mostly) serverless way to handle name resolution of clients with each other. In a high security environment, it is more secure to rely on centralized name resolution methods maintained by authorized staff.

Impact:

The Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) and Peer-to-Peer Grouping services may not function, and some applications, such as HomeGroup and Remote Assistance, may not function correctly.

Solution

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

Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Security Settings\System Services\Peer Networking Identity Manager

Default Value:

Manual

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/2992