1.1.1.1.3.3 Set 'Store passwords using reversible encryption' to 'Disabled'

Information

This policy setting determines whether the operating system stores passwords in a way that uses reversible encryption, which provides support for application protocols that require knowledge of the user's password for authentication purposes. Passwords that are stored with reversible encryption are essentially the same as plaintext versions of the passwords. Enabling this policy setting allows the operating system to store passwords in a weaker format that is much more susceptible to compromise and weakens your system security.

Solution

Navigate to the Group Policy UI path expressed in the Audit procedure and set Store passwords using reversible encryption as recommended.

Impact- If your organization uses either the CHAP authentication protocol through remote access or IAS services or Digest Authentication in IIS, you must configure this policy setting to Enabled. This setting is extremely dangerous to apply through Group Policy on a user-by-user basis, because it requires the appropriate user account object to be opened in Active Directory Users and Computers.

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/42

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5(1), CCE|CCE-2644-3, CSCv6|16.13, CSCv6|16.14

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: b5d56e7b6bfa8a2202acb6430d708d9f36b3bd4f54e21a6c905a4d81873ca53b