Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire

Updated: November 15, 2012

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, Windows XP

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

Reference

This policy setting enables or disables the forced disconnection of users who are connected to the local computer outside their user account's valid logon hours. It affects the SMB component. If you enable this policy setting, client computer sessions with the SMB service are forcibly disconnected when the client's logon hours expire. If you disable this policy setting, established client computer sessions are maintained after the client computer's logon hours expire.

Possible values

• Enabled

  Client computer sessions with the SMB service are forcibly disconnected when the client computer's logon hours expire. If logon hours are not used in your organization, enabling this policy setting will have no impact.

• Disabled

  The system maintains an established client computer session after the client computer's logon hours have expired.

• Not defined

Best practices

1. If you enable this policy setting, you should also enable Network security: Force logoff when logon hours expire.

Location

GPO_name\Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

Default values

The following table lists the actual and effective default values for this policy. Default values are also listed on the policy’s property page.

Operating system version differences

The default setting of this policy in operating systems previous to Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista is Disabled for stand-alone servers and client computers.

Policy management

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

Restart requirement

None. Changes to this policy become effective without a computer restart when they are saved locally or distributed through Group Policy.

Group Policy

When using Group Policy to distribute this policy setting, the default is different for Windows operating systems prior to Windows Server 2008.

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

If your organization configures logon hours for users, it makes sense to enable this policy setting. Otherwise, users who should not have access to network resources outside of their logon hours can continue to use those resources with sessions that were established during allowed hours.

Countermeasure

Enable the Microsoft network server: Disconnect clients when logon hours expire setting.

Potential impact

If logon hours are not used in your organization, this policy setting has no impact. If logon hours are used, existing user sessions are forcibly terminated when their logon hours expire.