18.9.102.3 Ensure 'No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations' is set to 'Disabled'

Information

This policy setting specifies that Automatic Updates will wait for computers to be restarted by the users who are logged on to them to complete a scheduled installation.

The recommended state for this setting is: Disabled.

Note: This setting applies only when you configure Automatic Updates to perform scheduled update installations. If you configure the Configure Automatic Updates setting to Disabled, this setting has no effect.

Rationale:

Some security updates require that the computer be restarted to complete an installation. If the computer cannot restart automatically, then the most recent update will not completely install and no new updates will download to the computer until it is restarted. Without the auto-restart functionality, users who are not security-conscious may choose to indefinitely delay the restart, therefore keeping the computer in a less secure state.

Impact:

None - this is the default behavior.

Solution

To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to Disabled:

Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations

Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsUpdate.admx/adml that is included with all versions of the Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates.

Note #2: In older Microsoft Windows Administrative Templates, this setting was initially named No auto-restart for scheduled Automatic Updates installations, but it was renamed starting with the Windows 7 & Server 2008 R2 Administrative Templates.

Default Value:

Disabled. (Automatic Updates will notify the user that the computer will automatically restart in 5 minutes to complete the installation of security updates.)

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/benchmarks/14249

Item Details

Category: SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY

References: 800-53|SI-2c., CCE|CCE-33813-7, CSCv7|3.4, CSCv7|3.5

Plugin: Windows

Control ID: a4a54b260c5a09421d3cdce6d6d4514c41ed4a84c8949c624c4751b43a2126f2