Deny access to this computer from the network

Applies To: Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows 8

This security policy reference topic for the IT professional describes the best practices, location, values, policy management, and security considerations for this policy setting.

Reference

This security setting determines which users are prevented from accessing a computer over the network.

This policy setting is supported on versions of Windows that are designated in the Applies To list at the beginning of this topic.

Constant: SeDenyNetworkLogonRight

Possible values

• User-defined list of accounts

• Guest

Best practices

1. Because all Active Directory Domain Services programs use a network logon for access, use caution when you assign this user right on domain controllers.

Location

GPO_name\Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment

Default values

By default, this setting is Guest on domain controllers and on stand-alone servers.

The following table lists the actual and effective default policy values for the most recent supported versions of Windows. Default values are also listed on the policy’s property page.

Operating system version differences

There are no differences in the way this policy setting works between the supported versions of Windows that are designated in the Applies To list at the beginning of this topic.

Policy management

This section describes features and tools available to help you manage this policy.

A restart of the computer is not required for this policy setting to be effective.

This policy setting supersedes the Access this computer from the network policy setting if a user account is subject to both policies.

Any change to the user rights assignment for an account becomes effective the next time the owner of the account logs on.

Group Policy

Settings are applied in the following order through a Group Policy Object (GPO), which will overwrite settings on the local computer at the next Group Policy update:

1. Local policy settings

2. Site policy settings

3. Domain policy settings

4. OU policy settings

When a local setting is greyed out, it indicates that a GPO currently controls that setting.

Security considerations

This section describes how an attacker might exploit a feature or its configuration, how to implement the countermeasure, and the possible negative consequences of countermeasure implementation.

Vulnerability

Users who can log on to the computer over the network can enumerate lists of account names, group names, and shared resources. Users with permission to access shared folders and files can connect over the network and possibly view or modify data.

Countermeasure

Assign the Deny access to this computer from the network user right to the following accounts:

• Anonymous logon

• Built-in local Administrator account

• Local Guest account

• All service accounts

An important exception to this list is any service accounts that are used to start services that must connect to the computer over the network. For example, let’s say you have configured a shared folder for web servers to access, and you present content within that folder through a website. You may need to allow the account that runs IIS to log on to the server with the shared folder from the network. This user right is particularly effective when you must configure servers and workstations on which sensitive information is handled because of regulatory compliance concerns.

Potential impact

If you configure the Deny access to this computer from the network user right for other accounts, you could limit the abilities of users who are assigned to specific administrative roles in your environment. You should verify that delegated tasks are not negatively affected.

See Also

User Rights Assignment