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Understanding Windows vs Linux Admin Security
If you are a Linux user, or have some experience with Linux, you may be familiar with its security feature where a password is required for every administrative action. By default, Windows does not offer this behavior when using an administrator account. In Windows, when you are an admin, you have full authority to run anything without being prompted for a password or PIN. Sometimes, applications can even start in the background with elevated privileges without notifying you.
However, we can configure Windows UAC to enable this feature so that it asks for a password each time an elevated task is performed.
Warning:
Follow this guide at your own risk. Any changes made to system settings may affect system behavior or security. I will not be responsible for any system issues, misconfigurations, data loss, or damage that may occur as a result of following these steps.
Pre-requirements
This feature is currently supported on all Windows editions except the Home or Basic edition. To check which edition of Windows you are currently using, follow the steps below:
Open Settings from the Start menu.
Open the System tab.
Scroll down to Windows specifications.
Check the Edition field.
If Windows Edition is Pro or Enterprise, we can proceed with configuring the UAC.
Configuring UAC Settings
We need to configure UAC to the highest notification level before proceeding with the actual password prompt configuration.
Open Control Panel from the Start menu search.
Set View by to Small icons.
Click on User Accounts.
Select Change User Account Control settings.
Check whether the notification slider is set to the highest level.
If not, move the slider to the top-most position (Always notify).
Click OK to save the changes.
Enabling Password/PIN Prompt Using Local Security Policy
This is the actual process where we will enable password or PIN prompting for elevated tasks.
Open the Start menu, search for Local Security Policy, and open it.
Click Yes on the elevation prompt.
In the left panel, expand Local Policies.
Click on Security Options.
Scroll down until you find User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode.
Double-click it, select Prompt for credentials from the drop-down menu, and click OK.
Repeat the same process for the following policies:
User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators running with Administrator protection
User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users
Close the Local Security Policy window and try performing an elevated task. Windows will now prompt for your password or PIN every time.
Note: You can also select “Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop” while editing the policies. This option is more secure than “Prompt for credentials” alone.
In case the guide is incorrect, contains mistakes, or is outdated, please notify me in the Telegram group.
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