Exchange Connectivity logging must be enabled.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-228357	EX16-MB-000040	SV-228357r879559_rule		Medium

Description
A connectivity log is a record of the SMTP connection activity of the outbound message delivery queues to the destination Mailbox server, smart host, or domain. Connectivity logging is available on Hub Transport servers and Edge Transport servers. By default, connectivity logging is disabled. If events are not recorded, it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users. Note: Transport configuration settings apply to the organization/global level of the Exchange SMTP path. By checking and setting them at the Hub server, the setting will apply to both Hub and Edge roles.

Description

A connectivity log is a record of the SMTP connection activity of the outbound message delivery queues to the destination Mailbox server, smart host, or domain. Connectivity logging is available on Hub Transport servers and Edge Transport servers. By default, connectivity logging is disabled. If events are not recorded, it may be difficult or impossible to determine the root cause of system problems or the unauthorized activities of malicious users. Note: Transport configuration settings apply to the organization/global level of the Exchange SMTP path. By checking and setting them at the Hub server, the setting will apply to both Hub and Edge roles.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Exchange 2016 Mailbox Server Security Technical Implementation Guide	2023-12-18

Details

Check Text ( C-30590r496867_chk )
Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command: Get-TransportService \| Select Name, Identity, ConnectivityLogEnabled If the value of "ConnectivityLogEnabled" is not set to "True", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-30575r496868_fix)
Open the Exchange Management Shell and enter the following command: Set-TransportService -Identity <'IdentityName'> -ConnectivityLogEnabled $true Note: The value must be in single quotes.