This policy setting determines whether the Guest account is enabled or disabled. The Guest account allows unauthenticated network users to gain access to the system. Note: that this setting will have no impact when applied to the domain controller organizational unit via group policy because domain controllers have no local account database. It can be configured at the domain level via group policy, similar to account lockout and password policy settings. Countermeasure: Configure the Accounts: Guest account status setting to Disabled so that the built-in Guest account is no longer usable. Potential Impact: All network users will need to authenticate before they can access shared resources. If you disable the Guest account and the Network Access: Sharing and Security Model option is set to Guest Only, network logons, such as those performed by the Microsoft Network Server (SMB Service), will fail. This policy setting should have little impact on most organizations because it is the default setting in Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

[enabled/disabled]

(1) GPO: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Guest account status (2) REG: ### (3) WMI: ###