Our current Windows 8/IE10 tablets apply a group policy which sets up the IE proxy configuration and prevents users from changing that configuration.

This is done using the settings "Prevent changing proxy settings" and "Disable changing automatic configuration settings" (located at computer configuration\administrative templates\windows components\internet explorer).

With Windows 8.1/IE11, the proxy server settings are still greyed out in the LAN settings dialog box under Internet Options\Connections in the desktop IE environment.

However in 8.1 the proxy settings can also be accessed from the Settings charm: Settings - Change PC Settings - Network - Proxy.  From this location, ordinary users can modify and save changes to the proxy configuration.

Is there any way to lock this down?

Change PC Settings - Network - Proxy is applied to user based apps.. So there should be a group policy some what similar to this... 

This is local group policy in 8.1

In latest server this group policy should be there... 

Computer Configuration---->Administrative Templates----> Network---->Network Isolation

To configure this policy in server 2012

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831418.aspx

PS

It seems these gpsettings are available in server 2012 onwords.. 

So if you don't have 2012 you have to do this through local group policy...

• Proposed as answer by Hetti Arachchige V Aravinda 8 hours 2 minutes ago
• Edited by Hetti Arachchige V Aravinda 7 hours 45 minutes ago
• Unproposed as answer by NickyMayB 1 hour 39 minutes ago

Hi Hetti,

Thanks for your answer but I already have "proxy definitions are authoritative" and "Internet proxy server for apps" defined in the group policy applying to my Windows 8.1 machines.

The problem is that using the PC settings\Network\proxy interface, an ordinary user can switch off the proxy server and connect their corporate tablet directly to the internet, thus bypassing all proxy security settings.  Switching off the proxy via this interface allows direct internet connection from both the Desktop and the "metro" versions of IE11.

Does anyone know of any means to prevent users from changing these settings?