Trust Bar notifications for Security messages must be enforced.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-228551	DTOO186	SV-228551r508020_rule		Medium

Description
The Message Bar in Office applications is used to identify security issues, such as unsigned macros or potentially unsafe add-ins. When such issues are detected, the application disables the unsafe feature or content and displays the Message Bar at the top of the active window. The Message Bar informs the users about the nature of the security issue and, in some cases, provides the users with an option to enable the potentially unsafe feature or content, which could harm the user's computer. By default, if an Office application detects a security issue, the Message Bar is displayed. However, this configuration can be modified by users in the Trust Center.

Description

The Message Bar in Office applications is used to identify security issues, such as unsigned macros or potentially unsafe add-ins. When such issues are detected, the application disables the unsafe feature or content and displays the Message Bar at the top of the active window. The Message Bar informs the users about the nature of the security issue and, in some cases, provides the users with an option to enable the potentially unsafe feature or content, which could harm the user's computer. By default, if an Office application detects a security issue, the Message Bar is displayed. However, this configuration can be modified by users in the Trust Center.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Office System 2013 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2020-09-25

Details

Check Text ( C-30784r498931_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Microsoft Office 2013 >> Security Settings "Disable all Trust Bar notifications for security issues" is set to "Disabled". Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\common\trustcenter If the value 'TrustBar' is REG_DWORD = 0, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-30769r498932_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2013 -> Security Settings "Disable all Trust Bar notifications for security issues" to "Disabled".