SV-278108r1181818: Windows Server 2025 Microsoft Defender antivirus SmartScreen must be enabled. | Microsoft Windows Server 2025 STIG SCAP Benchmark

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Assessment Title

Rule Text

Windows Server 2025 Microsoft Defender antivirus SmartScreen must be enabled.

Description

Discussion Text

Microsoft Defender antivirus SmartScreen helps protect systems from programs downloaded from the internet that may be malicious. Enabling SmartScreen can block potentially malicious programs or warn users.

How this relates to the STIG checklist: STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-000381

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2025 DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Windows Server 2025 5719

SCC Automation Reference

The reconstructed evaluation script behind this rule's OVAL check(s) — every module a compound check combines, with this rule's own concrete values and DISA's SCC tool's real per-module mechanism curated from static teardown of SCC releases.

# Windows PowerShell
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.stig.windows2025:def:278108
# Windows Server 2025 Microsoft Defender antivirus SmartScreen must be enabled.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Verifies 'Configure Windows SmartScreen' is set to 'Enabled'
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_1 {
  return (((@{String='reg_sz';ExpandString='reg_expand_sz';Binary='reg_binary';DWord='reg_dword';MultiString='reg_multi_sz';QWord='reg_qword';None='reg_none'}[(Get-Item -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System').GetValueKind('EnableSmartScreen').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name 'EnableSmartScreen' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'EnableSmartScreen') -eq 1))
}

if (test_1) {
  Write-Output "PASS"
} else {
  Write-Output "FAIL"
}

Assessment Script Powered by AISyntax-verified

A standalone PowerShell script to assess this control automatically. Review before running it in your environment.

Syntax-checked as valid PowerShell. Not executed here — running it for real needs the actual ms_windows_server_2025 target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.windows2025:def:278108
if ((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System' -Name EnableSmartScreen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).EnableSmartScreen -eq 1) { Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1 }

Remediation

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> File Explorer >> Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen to "Enabled" with either option "Warn" or "Warn and prevent bypass" selected.

Windows Server 2025 includes duplicate policies for this setting. It can also be configured under Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Windows Defender SmartScreen >> Explorer.