The Help Improve Proofing Tools feature for Office must be configured.

From Microsoft Office System 2013 STIG

Part of DTOO182 - Improve Proofing Tools

Associated with: CCI-000366

SV-52719r3_rule The Help Improve Proofing Tools feature for Office must be configured.

Vulnerability discussion

The "Help Improve Proofing Tools" feature collects data about use of the Proofing Tools, such as additions to the custom dictionary, and sends it to Microsoft. After about six months, the feature stops sending data to Microsoft and deletes the data collection file from the user's computer. Although this feature does not intentionally collect personal information, some of the content sent could include items that were marked as spelling or grammar errors, such as proper names and account numbers. However, any numbers such as account numbers, street addresses, and phone numbers are converted to zeroes when the data is collected. Microsoft uses this information solely to improve the effectiveness of the Office Proofing Tools, not to identify users.By default, this feature is enabled, if users choose to participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). If an organization has policies that govern the use of external resources such as the CEIP, allowing the use of the "Help Improve Proofing Tools" feature might cause them to violate these policies.

Check content

Verify the policy value for User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Microsoft Office 2013 >> Tools >> Options >> Spelling >> Proofing Data Collection "Improve Proofing Tools" is set to "Disabled". Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following hive: HKEY_Users For every users profile hive under HKEY_Users, navigate to the following key: \Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\15.0\common\ptwatson If the value “PTWOptIn” is REG_DWORD = 0 for every user profile hive, this is not a finding.

Fix text

Set the policy value for User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Microsoft Office 2013 -> Tools \ Options \ Spelling -> Proofing Data Collection "Improve Proofing Tools" to "Disabled".

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