Microsoft Defender Antivirus Security Technical Implementation Guide

The Microsoft Defender Antivirus Security Technical Implementation Guide (V2 R10) has 67 STIG checks. New to STIG checklists? Read What is a STIG checklist?, CKL vs CKLB, and STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

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Severity

Version

V2 · R10

CurrentPublished Wed Sep 30 2026

Microsoft Defender AV must enable asynchronous inspection.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus Security Technical Implementation Guide

Assessment Title

Rule Text

Microsoft Defender AV must enable asynchronous inspection.

Description

Discussion Text

Network protection includes performance optimization that allows block mode to asynchronously inspect long-lived connections, which might provide a performance improvement. This optimization can also help with app compatibility problems.

New to STIG checklists? Read What is a STIG checklist? and CKL vs CKLB.

Objective

V-278678

Rule

SV-278678r1192830_rule

Severity

medium

Rule Version

WNDF-AV-000075

Documentable

false

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Rev 5

Assessment Procedure

Check Text

Verify the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Network Inspection System >> Turn on asynchronous inspection is set to "Enabled"; otherwise, this is a finding.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: 
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\NIS

Criteria: If the value "AllowSwitchToAsyncInspection" is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

If the value is 0, this is a finding.

Implementation Procedure

Fix Text

Set the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Network Inspection System >> Turn on asynchronous inspection to "Enabled".

STIG check 64 of 67 in the Microsoft Defender Antivirus STIG checklist

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