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Apr 28, 2013 · How does CTRL-ALT-DEL to log in make Windows more secure? To quote the accepted answer by Oskar Duveborn, The Windows (NT) kernel is designed to reserve the notification of this key combination to a single process: Winlogon.
- This combination is called a Secure attention key. The Windows kernel is "wired" to notify Winlogon and nobody else about this combination. In this...
- Ctrl-Alt-Del is the Secure Attention Key on Windows. The operating system enforces a strong non-interception policy for this key combination. You...
- The answer to this can actually be found on our sister site, ServerFault. How does CTRL-ALT-DEL to log in make Windows more secure? To quote the a...
- Some additional questions have been raised regarding Windows 8 SAS support, and a later deleted by owner separate question was posted about it, too...
- The idea is that a trusted Windows process called Winlogon, and only Winlogon, can read the Ctrl+Alt+Del key sequence. This key sequence is called...
- Ctrl+Alt+Del was around way before Windows Logon, originally it simply did a soft reset on the system. The same combination is on other systems/OSs...
People also ask
What is Ctrl Alt & Del?
What is Ctrl Alt Delete?
Does Ctrl + Alt + Del matter if I'm logged in?
How secure is Ctrl+Alt+Del?
Dec 14, 2022 · Learn how to enable, disable Secure Logon, using Group Policy or Registry Editor, which requires users to press Ctrl Alt Del to enter password during login.
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SuperUser reader Nexusfactor wants to know what makes Secure Login (Ctrl+Alt+Del) secure:
I was reading about enabling Ctrl+Alt+Del ( link ) as a security measure when logging in. My question is, what exactly is secure about it? What goes on "behind the scenes" that makes it safe from viruses and spyware?
SuperUser contributors duDE and Louis have the answer for us. First up, duDE:
•"What exactly is secure about it?"
Secure is the fact that Ctrl+Alt+Del is the only key sequence that an operating system will never allow to be redirected. No third party application can respond to this key combination to fake a login window and/or keylog your password for example.
Followed by the answer from Louis:
duDE explains how Ctrl+Alt+Del guarantees that a legitimate login desktop will be displayed and how the guarantee benefits security. I will try to answer the second part of your question by explaining that the true safety is provided by the concept of a secure desktop, for which the key combination is just a guarantee of enjoying that security.
In Windows, there are actually different types of desktops. The one that we work in is what we all call the desktop, but has been known by other names such as default, interactive, or application desktop. It is here that any given application can run.
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Nov 15, 2019 · As a commenter mentioned, Ctrl+Alt+Del is a secure attention key - basically a secure key combination. Similar to the way UAC dialogs dim your desktop (by default), it is designed to ensure that rogue processes don't hijack sensitive actions.
Oct 13, 2021 · Ctrl Alt Delete, also known as Ctrl + Alt + Del, is a keyboard shortcut used on computers and laptops that, depending on the context, allows you to quickly restart your device or show a screen with some basic options from Windows.
Sep 11, 2021 · This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable secure sign-in to require users to press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the lock screen before signing in to Windows 10. If you enable secure sign-in, the default lock screen will show at startup, and the slide show (if turned on) will no longer play for all users.
A user pressing Control-Alt-Delete can be sure that it is the operating system (specifically the Winlogon process), rather than a third party program that is responding to the key combination, and that it is therefore safe to enter a password.
