STIGUI
V-253448CAT II — Medium severitySV-253448r1268251_rule

The Smart Card removal option must be configured to Force Logoff or Lock Workstation.

Rule version WN11-SO-000095 · STIG v2 · 2026-09-01

Discussion

Unattended systems are susceptible to unauthorized use and must be locked. Configuring a system to lock when a smart card is removed will ensure the system is inaccessible when unattended.

Check

If the following registry value does not exist or is not configured as specified, this is a finding:

Registry Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Registry Path: \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\

Value Name: SCRemoveOption

Value Type: REG_SZ Value: 1 (Lock Workstation) or 2 (Force Logoff)

This can be left not configured or set to "No action" on workstations with the following conditions. This must be documented with the ISSO. -The setting cannot be configured due to mission needs, or because it interferes with applications. -Policy must be in place that users manually lock workstations when leaving them unattended. -The screen saver is properly configured to lock as required.

Fix

Configure the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Windows Settings >> Security Settings >> Local Policies >> Security Options >> "Interactive logon: Smart card removal behavior" to "Lock Workstation" or "Force Logoff".

Identifiers

Group ID
V-253448
Group title
SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227
Rule ID
SV-253448r1268251_rule
Check ID
C-56901r829426_chk
Fix ID
F-56851r829427_fix