This policy setting allows you to audit events generated by changes in policy rules used by the Microsoft Protection Service (MPSSVC). This service is used by Windows Firewall. Events include the following: Reporting of active policies when Windows Firewall service starts. Changes to Windows Firewall rules. Changes to Windows Firewall exception list. Changes to Windows Firewall settings. Rules ignored or not applied by Windows Firewall Service. Changes to Windows Firewall Group Policy settings. If you configure this policy setting, an audit event is generated by attempts to change policy rules used by the MPSSVC. Success audits record successful attempts and Failure audits record unsuccessful attempts. If you do not configure this policy setting, no audit event is generated by changes in policy rules used by the MPSSVC. Volume: Low. Default: No Auditing. Countermeasure: Enable Audit policy settings that support the organizational security policy for all the computers in your organization. Identify the components that you need for an audit policy that enables your organization to hold users accountable for their actions while using organizational resources and enables IT departments to detect unauthorized activity efficiently and then track those events in log files. Potential Impact: If no audit settings are configured, or if audit settings are too lax on the computers in your organization, security incidents might not be detected or not enough evidence will be available for network forensic analysis after security incidents occur. However, if audit settings are too severe, critically important entries in the Security log may be obscured by all of the meaningless entries and computer performance and the available amount of data storage may be seriously affected. Companies that operate in certain regulated industries may have legal obligations to log certain events or activities. Fix: (1) GPO: Computer ConfigurationWindows SettingsSecurity SettingsAdvanced Audit Policy ConfigurationAudit PoliciesPolicy ChangeAudit Policy: Policy Change: MPSSVC Rule-Level Policy Change (2) REG: NO REGISTRY INFO

[audit_none/audit_success/audit_failure/audit_success_failure]

(1) GPO: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Policy Change\Audit Policy: Policy Change: MPSSVC Rule-Level Policy Change