Do you share your computer with someone else and don’t want them to access your firewall and network security settings? If yes, then this is where you should be.
In this article, we will see how you can hide or show the Firewall and network security settings area in Windows Security.
Why Hiding Firewall and Network Zones is Important in Windows Security
Windows Security is your one-stop security center for protecting your personal data and network settings. It is divided into different security classes for better and faster security management.
One of these is the Firewall and Network Security area. This is where you can view the status of Microsoft Defender Firewall and the type of network your device is connected to. You can also use it to block or allow an app through the firewall and reset firewall settings.
Therefore, it is important to keep this area hidden, especially if you share your computer with someone else. You’ll need to sign in as an administrator if you want to hide the Firewall and Network Zones, so see How to Enable or Disable the Built-in Administrator Account on Windows if you need to turn it on.
How to Hide or Show Firewall and Network Zones in Windows Security Using Local Group Policy Editor
Local Group Policy Editor is a utility using which you can manage parts of Windows, apply specific policies, and automate repetitive tasks such as mapping printers. This utility is reserved for Professional, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows.
Thus, if you are using the Home edition, check out our guide on how to use Group Policy Editor in Windows Home.
Nevertheless, here’s how to use the Local Group Policy Editor to hide the firewall and network zone in Windows Security.
That’s it. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
If you want to show the Firewall and Network area, open the Local Group Policy Editor again and repeat the above steps. Finally, select the Disabled option and then save the settings.
Keep your network settings safe and secure
Hiding the firewall and network security area is very important if you don’t want others to see or change important settings on your computer. You disable this zone using the Local Group Policy Editor, as described above.
In the meantime, you might be interested in knowing the different ways to open the Windows Security app.
Windows Security (formerly Defender) is the antivirus app bundled with Windows 11. Real-time scanning of the app protects the PC from viruses and other types of malware. So, this is an important Windows app to have if you don’t have an alternative third-party antivirus utility installed.
Users will need to open Windows Security to manually start custom or quick scans, configure antivirus settings, and set file and folder exclusions, among other things. You can also adjust some firewall options from that app. These are the 11 alternative ways by which you can open Windows Security in Windows 11.
This first method is probably one of the fastest ways to open Windows Security. Simply click on the Windows Security (Shield) icon which is in the system tray on the right side of your taskbar. If you’ve turned off the Windows security notification taskbar corner setting, you’ll need to click the Show hidden icons up arrow to see the overflow menu.
It’s easy to find most Windows 11 apps with the Type to search box here. Entering an explicit keyword for the antivirus app to find will do the trick. Here’s how to bring up Windows Security with that search box.