Title

Read EMail as plain text must be enforced. (Cat II impact)

Discussion

Outlook can display email messages and other items in three formats: plain text, Rich Text Format (RTF), and HTML. By default, Outlook displays email messages in whatever format they were received in.

Check Content

Verify the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2013 -> Outlook Options -> Preferences -> E-mail Options "Read e-mail as plain text" is set to "Enabled". Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\outlook\options\mail Criteria: If the value ReadAsPlain is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

Fix Text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Outlook 2013 -> Outlook Options -> Preferences -> E-mail Options "Read e-mail as plain text" to "Enabled".

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-53867r1_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-17770

Group Title: DTOO214 - Read EMail as plain text

Expert Comments

CCIs tied to check.

Controls tied to check. These are derived from the CCIs shown above.