Today we are discussing Protecting Printer Communication Channels by enforcing TCP only connections using Intune policy. This policy helps protect printer communication channels by making sure the Print Spooler only uses TCP connections. TCP is a much safer way for devices to communicate when printing.
Because it handles so many interactions, it has been targeted by attackers in the past, making it necessary to secure how it communicates. The Print Spooler is the service that handles all printing work, so it needs to talk with devices and printers. The goal of the policy is to make sure this communication happens safely.
Many organizations have faced risks due to older or less secure communication methods still being enabled in Windows. In, several vulnerabilities were found in the Print Spooler service, which showed how attackers could misuse weak protocols to gain access or elevate privileges. This is why guidance from frameworks like the CIS Benchmark encourages limiting the service to modern and secure protocols.
The aim is to reduce exposure by controlling how the service accepts incoming connections. As part of building a stronger security foundation, organizations are encouraged to adopt settings that block older protocols and allow only trusted ones. Windows supports secure communication methods, but legacy systems or older printer configurations may still on outdated techniques.
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Protecting Printer Communication Channels by enforcing TCP only connections using Intune policy
By using only secure communication, we reduce that risk and keep the system safer. It also helps with security standards like CIS, which recommends safe communication. The aim of this policy is to protect the printing system and reduce chances of attackers using weak communication methods.
By enforcing secure RPC communication, administrators can greatly reduce the chances of misuse and ensure that all devices follow consistent and safe behavior. The specific policy we are focusing on controls which protocols incoming Remote Procedure Call (RPC) connections can use with the Print Spooler.
RPC allows different services and applications to communicate across a system or network. Let’s look how this policy to be deployed.
- Enable or Disable Physical Computer Location Support for Printers using Intune Policy.
- Prevent Users From Installing Printer Drivers Using Intune
- How to Create Intune Settings Catalog Policy
Create Profile
For creating a profile in Intune, you have to do some steps by sign in to Microsoft Intune Admin center you can easily configure this policy. Go to the Intune Admin Center portal. Go to Devices > Windows > Configuration > Create > New Policy. In this window, you can create the profile for this policy. For this, you have to select the platform and profile.
- Here, I choose Windows 10 and Later as Platform and Settings Catalog as Profile Type.
- Then click on the Next Create Button.
Filling Basic Details
In the Basics section, you start by providing the general information for your policy. Here, you enter a clear name, such as “Configure RPC listener settings”, and an optional description that explains what the policy does and why you are applying it. You also select the platform Windows and confirm that you are creating a configuration profile. This section helps organize your policy so that administrators can easily understand its purpose later.
| Basic Settings | Info |
|---|---|
| Name | Configure RPC listener settings |
| Description | Enable Configure RPC listener settings |
| Platform | Windows |
Configuration Settings
In the Configuration Settings section, you apply the actual setting that enables RPC over TCP to protect the Print Spooler. Click on the add settings and you will get the Settings picker then navigate to the Administrative Templates, search for “Printers to accept client connections and set it to Enabled with the option “RPC over TCP selected. This configuration ensures that the Print Spooler will only accept secure RPC connections, block
Enable- Configuration Settings
Once the settings are configured, this section ensures the policy is active. You review the toggle or dropdown used to enable the setting and confirm that the configuration has been set correctly. This step verifies that the policy will enforce the required behavior across all assigned devices. Enabling the policy is crucial because it tells Intune to apply the selected configuration to the devices
Scope Tags
In the Scope Tags section, you can assign tags to help categorize or limit who can view or manage the policy in Intune. This is especially useful in large IT environments where multiple admins work with different device groups. Adding scope tags does not affect how the policy works on devices but helps control administrative visibility and organizational structure. If you don’t use scope tags, you can simply move to the next
Know the Importance of Assignments
In the Assignments section, you choose which users or devices will receive this policy. You can target specific security groups, device groups, or even assign it to All Devices if you want organization-wide protection. Assignments ensure that only the selected devices enforce RPC over TCP for the Print Spooler. Proper targeting avoids accidental misconfiguration and ensures the right systems get the security benefit.
Review + Create
The Review + Create step allows you to double-check everything before deploying the policy. You can confirm the policy name, platform, settings, assignments, and any scope tags you added. Once everything looks correct, you click Create to finalize and push the policy into Intune. This step acts as a final quality check to ensure accuracy before deployment.
Monitoring Status
After the policy has been created and assigned, you can monitor the deployment using the Monitoring or Device Status page in the policy view. Here, you’ll see whether devices show as Succeeded, Pending, Error, or Not Applicable. Monitoring helps identify if devices received the policy correctly and allows troubleshooting when something does not apply as expected.
End User Result
Once the policy applies successfully, end users will not see any visible pop-ups or changes during normal printing. However, behind the scenes, their Windows device will now only allow RPC over TCP connections to the Print Spooler, blocking unsafe named pipe connections
Remove the Assigned Groups
To remove an assigned group from a policy in your tenant, the process is very simple. First, search for the policy name in the Configuration Profiles list. Here, I searched for “Configure RPC listener settings” and found the policy. After clicking on the policy, go to the Monitoring Status page and scroll down until you see the Assignments section.
- There you will find an Edit option, click on it, remove the assigned group, and then select Review + Save.
- This will remove the group assignment from that policy.
Delete the Configure RPC listener Setting Policy
To delete a policy permanently, first search for the policy name in the Configuration Profile list. Once you find the policy, click on it, and you will see the 3-dot menu at the top. Click on that menu and select Delete. After you confirm the deletion, the policy will be permanently removed from your Intune tenant.
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Author
Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP for 10 consecutive years from 2015 onwards. He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc