Windows Logon Options: Part Two of Two

Blog time again.. Previously, I wrote about two of the policy settings under the computer configuration. Today, I finish writing about the Windows Logon Options policy category by covering the remaining policy setting under the computer configuration and all of the policy settings under the user configuration.

 

All operating systems based on Windows NT (Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000) have a security feature named Secure Attention Sequence (SAS). The purpose of the SAS is to alert the operating system that a user is ready to perform a secure action, such as logging on the computer. You see the results of SAS when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL to logon to Windows or when prompted to insert your smartcard. Both are results of a Secure Attention Sequence.

Sometimes, software must simulate a Secure Attention Sequence. Most commonly, software designed for accessibility or ease of access have this requirement. Windows Vista has a policy setting that allows you to control what software can simulate a Secure Attention Sequence name Disable and enable software Secure Attention Sequence.

 

This policy setting has four options, when enabled. These options are:

  • None—disallows any user mode software from simulating a Secure Attention Sequence.
  • Services—allows software running as a service to simulate a Secure Attention Sequence.
  • Ease of access applications—allows software specifically designed for ease of access to simulate a Secure Attention Sequence.
  • Services and Ease of access applications—allows both service and ease of access applications to simulate a Secure Attention Sequence.

Disabling this policy, which is the same as leaving it not configured, allows only Ease of access application running on the secure desktop to simulate a Secure Attention Sequence.

 

This concludes the computer policy settings, which leaves three remaining user policy settings. The first of these policy settings is the Set action to take when logon hours expire.

 

You can configure permitted logon hours for each user in their respected user account. Enabling this policy allows you to configure the action Windows should perform when the user’s logon hours expire. These options include:

  • Lock—locks the current session and prevents the user from unlocking the session outside of their permitted logon hours.
  • Disconnect—disconnects the user from the current session and prevents the user from reconnecting to the session outside of their permitted logon hours.
  • Logoff—logs the user off the computer and prevents further logons outside of the user’s permitted logon hours. Choosing this setting can result in possible data loss.

By default, Windows does not enforce user logon hours. However, once enabled, Windows warns the user before their logon hours expire and then performs the action you configured when the user’s logon hours expire. When setting this policy setting, you should consider the Remove logon hours expiration warnings.

The Remove logon hours expiration warning, when enabled, allows you to configured Windows not to notify the user of the pending action before their logon hours expire, By default, Windows does not enforce user logon hours. Therefore, enabling this policy setting does not display warning unless the Set action to take when logon hours policy setting is enabled.

 

The last user policy setting is equivalent to the computer configuration setting Report when logon server was not available during user logon. Windows displays a notification to the user explaining they have logged on using cached credentials because the logon server was not available. Enabling this policy could expedite the reporting of logon problems. And, as with the other policy, serves as an excellent way to further troubleshoot logon problems.

 

Suffice to say, these policy settings can help you secure your corporate environment during off hours as well as assist with detecting possible logon problems earlier rather than later.

 

NEXT WEEK: Windows Defender Part One of Two.

 

Mike Stephens, Technical Writer, Group Policy