Outlook must be enforced as the default email, calendar, and contacts program.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-17753	DTOO229	SV-53891r1_rule	ECSC-1	Medium

Description
Outlook is made the default program for email, contacts, and calendar services when it is installed, although users can designate other programs as the default programs for these services. If another application is used to provide these services and the organization does not ensure the security of that application, it could be exploited to gain access to sensitive information or launch other malicious attacks. When an organization has policies that govern the use of personal information management software, allowing users to change the default configuration could enable them to violate such policies.

Description

Outlook is made the default program for email, contacts, and calendar services when it is installed, although users can designate other programs as the default programs for these services. If another application is used to provide these services and the organization does not ensure the security of that application, it could be exploited to gain access to sensitive information or launch other malicious attacks. When an organization has policies that govern the use of personal information management software, allowing users to change the default configuration could enable them to violate such policies.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Outlook 2013 STIG	2014-01-06

Details

Check Text ( C-47920r1_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2013 -> Outlook Options -> Other "Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar" is set to "Enabled". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\outlook\options\general Criteria: If the value Check Default Client is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-47920r1_chk )

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2013 -> Outlook Options -> Other "Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar" is set to "Enabled".

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key:

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\outlook\options\general

Criteria: If the value Check Default Client is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-46798r1_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2013 -> Outlook Options -> Other "Make Outlook the default program for E-mail, Contacts, and Calendar" to "Enabled".