Ensure No Auditing for 'Audit Policy: Object Access: Handle Manipulation' This subcategory reports when a handle to an object is opened or closed. Only objects with SACLs cause these events to be generated, and only if the attempted handle operation matches the SACL. Handle Manipulation events are only generated for object types where the corresponding Object Access subcategory is enabled, for example File System or Registry. Events for this subcategory include: - 4656: A handle to an object was requested. - 4658: The handle to an object was closed. - 4690: An attempt was made to duplicate a handle to an object. Refer to the Microsoft Knowledgebase article 'Description of security events in Windows Vista and in Windows Server 2008' for the most recent information about this setting: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947226. Counter Measure: 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. (1) GPO: Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\Audit Policies\Object Access\Audit Policy: Object Access: Handle Manipulation oval:org.secpod.oval:def:35516 oval:org.secpod.oval:def:35516 oval:org.secpod.oval:def:35516 SCAP Repo OVAL Definition 2016-06-10