Reversible password encryption must be disabled.

Overview

Finding ID	Version	Rule ID	IA Controls	Severity
V-2372	WN08-AC-000009	SV-48064r1_rule	IAIA-1 IAIA-2	High

Description
Storing passwords using reversible encryption is essentially the same as storing clear-text versions of the passwords. For this reason, this policy must never be enabled.

STIG	Date
Windows 8 Security Technical Implementation Guide	2013-07-03

Details

Check Text ( C-44803r1_chk )
Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.) Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view. Navigate to Account Policies -> Password Policy. If the value for "Store password using reversible encryption" is not set to "Disabled", this is a finding.

Check Text ( C-44803r1_chk )

Analyze the system using the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in. (See "Performing Analysis with the Security Configuration and Analysis Snap-in" in the STIG Overview document.)
Expand the Security Configuration and Analysis tree view.
Navigate to Account Policies -> Password Policy.

If the value for "Store password using reversible encryption" is not set to "Disabled", this is a finding.

Fix Text (F-41202r1_fix)
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Account Policies -> Password Policy -> "Store password using reversible encryption" to "Disabled".