Outlook Rich Text options must be set for converting to plain text format.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-71279	DTOO344	SV-85903r1_rule		Medium

Description
This policy setting controls how Outlook sends Rich Text Format (RTF) messages to Internet recipients. If you enable this policy setting, you may choose from the following for handling RTF messages addressed to recipients on the Internet:* Convert to Plain Text format - Outlook converts the message to plain text format in the default character set. Any message formatting will be lost. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Outlook automatically converts RTF formatted messages that are sent over the Internet to HTML format, so that the message formatting is maintained and attachments are received.

Description

This policy setting controls how Outlook sends Rich Text Format (RTF) messages to Internet recipients. If you enable this policy setting, you may choose from the following for handling RTF messages addressed to recipients on the Internet:* Convert to Plain Text format - Outlook converts the message to plain text format in the default character set. Any message formatting will be lost. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Outlook automatically converts RTF formatted messages that are sent over the Internet to HTML format, so that the message formatting is maintained and attachments are received.

STIG	Date
Microsoft Outlook 2016 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2016-11-02

Details

Check Text ( C-71669r3_chk )
Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Outlook Options -> Mail Format -> Internet Formatting "Outlook Rich Text options" is set to "Enabled: Convert to Plain Text format". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\outlook\options\mail Criteria: If the value Message RTF Format is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Check Text ( C-71669r3_chk )

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Outlook Options -> Mail Format -> Internet Formatting "Outlook Rich Text options" is set to "Enabled: Convert to Plain Text format".

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

HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\16.0\outlook\options\mail

Criteria: If the value Message RTF Format is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text (F-77585r1_fix)
Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2016 -> Outlook Options -> Mail Format -> Internet Formatting "Outlook Rich Text options" to "Enabled: Convert to Plain Text format".