Details

This policy setting allows you to determine if Excel files in Outlook attachments open in Protected View. If you enable this policy setting, Outlook attachments do not open in Protected View. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, Outlook attachments open in Protected View.

Solution

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Excel 2016 -> Excel Options -> Security -> Trust Center -> Protected View ‘Turn off Protected View for attachments opened from Outlook’ to ‘Disabled’.

Supportive Information

The following resource is also helpful.

• https://iasecontent.disa.mil/stigs/zip/U_MS_Excel_2016_V1R2_STIG.zip

This security hardening control applies to the following category of controls within NIST 800-53: System and Communications Protection.This control applies to the following type of system Windows.

References

• 800-53|SC-18(4)
• CAT|II
• CCI|CCI-001170
• Rule-ID|SV-85655r1_rule
• STIG-ID|DTOO293
• Vuln-ID|V-71031

Source

• Tenable.com/audits