Indexing of encrypted files must be turned off.
Severity | Group ID | Group Title | Version | Rule ID | Date | STIG Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| medium | V-253409 | SRG-OS-000095-GPOS-00049 | WN11-CC-000305 | SV-253409r958478_rule | 2026-02-12 | 2 |
Description
Indexing of encrypted files may expose sensitive data. This setting prevents encrypted files from being indexed.
ℹ️ Check
If the following registry value does not exist or is not configured as specified, this is a finding:
Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry Path: \SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search\
Value Name: AllowIndexingEncryptedStoresOrItems
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0
✔️ Fix
Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Search >> "Allow indexing of encrypted files" to "Disabled".