Require Encryption

ComputerNative Intune settingPol_RequireEncryption

Supported on At least Windows Server 2022, Windows 11

25H2 · 1.0

What it does

This policy controls whether the SMB client will require encryption. If you enable this policy setting, the SMB client will require the SMB server to support encryption and encrypt the data. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the SMB client will not require encryption. However, SMB encryption may still be required; see notes below. Note: This policy is combined with per-share, per-server, and per mapped drive connection properties, through which SMB encryption may be required. The SMB server must support and enable SMB encryption. For example, should this policy be disabled (or not configured), the SMB client may still perform encryption if an SMB server share has required encryption. Important: SMB encryption requires SMB 3.0 or later

What it writes

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry key: Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation
Value name: RequireEncryption
When enabled: DWORD 1
When disabled: DWORD 0

In Intune

Native Intune setting: Yes — Policy CSP

./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/LanmanWorkstation/RequireEncryptionLanmanWorkstation on Microsoft LearnNot yet in a released Windows build when Microsoft published these DDF files; Learn shows the release it shipped in.

From Microsoft's Policy CSP DDF files (DDF v2 Files, February 2026), read 18 Oct 2026.

Security baselines

Microsoft's Windows 11 v26H2 Security Baseline v2 sets this to Disabled, in its GPO “MSFT Windows 11 26H2 - Computer”.

Policy value RequireEncryption: Sets RequireEncryption to 0 (REG_DWORD).

Read from the registry.pol files in the baselines' GPO backups, downloaded from Microsoft's Security Compliance Toolkit. All baselines

Configure and deploy

Choose a state; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.

Enabled · Computer · template defaults

Registry file (.reg)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation]
"RequireEncryption"=dword:00000001

PowerShell

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

function Set-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
    }

    New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}

function Remove-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return
    }

    foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

# Policy: Require Encryption
# Name: Pol_RequireEncryption
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: LanmanWorkstation.admx

Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation' -Name 'RequireEncryption' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1

These deployment candidates come from the ADMX template; they are separate from the native CSP mapping above.

The OMA-URI is an inferred ADMX-backed Policy CSP candidate derived from the source ADMX file name and policy name.
Some Microsoft policies use built-in Policy CSP pages whose area names don't match the ADMX file name, so verify the candidate against Microsoft Learn before deployment.

ADMX profile candidate (OMA-URI)

./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_LanmanWorkstation/Pol_RequireEncryption

ADMX SyncML candidate

<SyncML xmlns="SYNCML:SYNCML1.2">
  <SyncBody>
    <Replace>
      <CmdID>1</CmdID>
      <Item>
        <Meta>
          <Format>chr</Format>
          <Type>text/plain</Type>
        </Meta>
        <Target>
          <LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_LanmanWorkstation/Pol_RequireEncryption</LocURI>
        </Target>
        <Data>&lt;enabled/&gt;</Data>
      </Item>
    </Replace>
    <Final/>
  </SyncBody>
</SyncML>

Intune remediation scripts

Detection

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$reasons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()

function Test-RegistryValueExists {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return $false
    }

    return $null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
}

function Test-RegistryValueEquals {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Kind,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Expected
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return $false
    }

    $valueObject = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($null -eq $valueObject) {
        return $false
    }

    $actual = $valueObject.$Name
    switch ($Kind) {
        'String' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
        'ExpandString' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
        'DWord' { return [uint32]$actual -eq [uint32]$Expected }
        'QWord' { return [uint64]$actual -eq [uint64]$Expected }
        'MultiString' {
            $actualArray = @($actual)
            $expectedArray = @($Expected)
            if ($actualArray.Count -ne $expectedArray.Count) { return $false }
            for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Count; $index++) {
                if ([string]$actualArray[$index] -cne [string]$expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
            }
            return $true
        }
        'Binary' {
            $actualArray = [byte[]]$actual
            $expectedArray = [byte[]]$Expected
            if ($actualArray.Length -ne $expectedArray.Length) { return $false }
            for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Length; $index++) {
                if ($actualArray[$index] -ne $expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
            }
            return $true
        }
        default { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
    }
}

# Policy: Require Encryption
# Name: Pol_RequireEncryption
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: LanmanWorkstation.admx

$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation' -Name 'RequireEncryption' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 1
if (-not $isMatch) {
    $reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation\RequireEncryption') | Out-Null
}

if ($reasons.Count -eq 0) {
    Write-Output 'Compliant'
    exit 0
}

$reasons | ForEach-Object { Write-Output $_ }
exit 1

Remediation

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

function Set-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
    }

    New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}

function Remove-RegistryValue {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
    )

    if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
    param(
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
    )

    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
        return
    }

    foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
        Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}

# Policy: Require Encryption
# Name: Pol_RequireEncryption
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: LanmanWorkstation.admx

Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation' -Name 'RequireEncryption' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1

History 5 retained releases

24H2 · 1.030 Sep 2024
- Added in this release.

1 later release left it unchanged.

Template

Internal name: Pol_RequireEncryption
Namespace: Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation
Template file: LanmanWorkstation.admx
Release: Windows 11 25H2 · 1.0 · file set de4e49983ebd651f…

Definition, editor controls and support

Definition

<policy class="Machine" displayName="$(string.Pol_RequireEncryption_Name)" explainText="$(string.Pol_RequireEncryption_Help)" key="Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\LanmanWorkstation" name="Pol_RequireEncryption" valueName="RequireEncryption" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:Cat_LanmanWorkstation" />
      <supportedOn ref="Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0" />
      <enabledValue>
        <decimal value="1" />
      </enabledValue>
      <disabledValue>
        <decimal value="0" />
      </disabledValue>
    </policy>

Editor controls

Supported platforms and category

Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:category:Cat_LanmanWorkstation
<category displayName="$(string.Cat_LanmanWorkstation)" name="Cat_LanmanWorkstation" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:Network" />
    </category>
Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:definition:SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0)" name="SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      </definition>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:Network
<category displayName="$(string.Network)" explainText="$(string.Network_Help)" name="Network" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:category:Cat_LanmanWorkstation
<category displayName="$(string.Cat_LanmanWorkstation)" name="Cat_LanmanWorkstation" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      <parentCategory ref="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:Network" />
    </category>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:Cat_LanmanWorkstation">Lanman Workstation</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:definition:SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0)" name="SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
      </definition>
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.LanmanWorkstation:SUPPORTED_Windows_Server_2022_Windows_11_0">At least Windows Server 2022, Windows 11</string></strings>
Microsoft.Policies.Windows:category:Network
<category displayName="$(string.Network)" explainText="$(string.Network_Help)" name="Network" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:Network">Network</string><string id="Microsoft.Policies.Windows:Network_Help">Allows configuration of components of the operating system used by a client computer to connect to a network. This includes DNS settings and Offline Files.</string></strings>