Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract of Forescout Platform Administration and Deployment:
According to the Forescout Administration Guide - Define Policy Scope documentation and Windows Update Compliance Template configuration, when the condition of a sub-rule is looking for Windows Antivirus updates, the scope and main rule should read: Scope "corporate range", filter by group "windows managed", main rule "No conditions".
Policy Scope Definition:
According to the policy scope documentation:
When defining the scope for a Windows Antivirus/Updates policy:
Scope - Should be set to "corporate range" (endpoints within the corporate IP address range)
Filter by group - Should filter by the "windows managed" group (Windows endpoints that are manageable)
Main rule - Should have "No conditions" (meaning the policy applies to all endpoints matching the scope and group)
Why "No conditions" for the Main Rule:
According to the Windows Update Compliance Template documentation:
The main rule is designed to be:
Broad in scope - Applies to all eligible Windows managed endpoints
Without specific conditions - Specific conditions are handled by sub-rules
Efficient filtering - The scope and group filter do the initial endpoint selection
The sub-rules then contain the specific conditions (e.g., "Windows Antivirus Update Date < 30 days ago") to evaluate each endpoint's compliance.
Policy Structure for Windows Updates:
According to the documentation:
text
Policy Scope: "Corporate Range"
Filter by Group: "windows managed"
Main Rule: "No Conditions"
├─ Sub-rule 1: "Windows Antivirus Update Date > 30 days"
│ Action: Trigger update
├─ Sub-rule 2: "Windows Antivirus Running = False"
│ Action: Start Antivirus Service
└─ Sub-rule 3: "Windows Updates Missing = True"
Action: Initiate Windows Updates
"Windows Managed" Group:
According to the policy template documentation:
The "windows managed" group specifically includes:
Windows endpoints that can be remotely managed
Endpoints with proper connectivity to management services
Systems with necessary admin accounts configured
Machines capable of executing remote scripts and commands
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. Scope "all ips", filter by group blank, main rule member of group "Windows" - Too broad scope (includes non-Windows systems); "all ips" is inefficient
B. Scope "corporate range", filter by group "None", main rule "member of Group = Windows" - Correct scope and filtering wrong (should filter by group, not in main rule)
C. Scope "threat exemptions", filter by group "windows managed", main rule "member of group = windows" - Wrong scope (threat exemptions is for excluding systems); redundant main rule
E. Scope "all ips", filter by group "windows", main rule "No Conditions" - Too broad initial scope; "all ips" is inefficient and includes non-corporate systems
Recommended Policy Configuration:
According to the documentation:
For Windows Antivirus/Updates policies:
Scope - Define as "corporate range" to limit to organizational endpoints
Filter by Group - Set to "windows managed" to exclude non-manageable systems
Main Rule - Set to "No conditions" for simplicity; let scope/group do the filtering
Sub-rules - Define specific compliance conditions (e.g., patch level, antivirus status)
This structure ensures:
Efficient policy evaluation
Only applicable Windows endpoints are assessed
Manageable systems are prioritized
Specific compliance checks occur in sub-rules
Referenced Documentation:
Define Policy Scope documentation
Windows Update Compliance Template v2
Defining a Policy Main Rule
