5.15 Ensure 'Peer Networking Grouping (p2psvc)' is set to 'Disabled'

Information

Enables multi-party communication using Peer-to-Peer Grouping.

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:

Some applications, such as HomeGroup, may not function.

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 Grouping

Default Value:

Manual

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/12434