How to Hide the Device Security Section in the Windows Security App on Windows 11

Understanding Core Security Features

Device Security in Windows 11 protects your computer with hardware features such as Core Isolation and Memory Integrity. These tools use virtualization to keep harmful code away from important system files. The page also reports on the Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0), a chip on your motherboard (or built into the processor firmware) that stores encryption keys safely.

To see the page yourself, open the Windows Security app and click Device security. What you see depends on your hardware. Some PCs show every item below, and older ones show fewer.

• Core Isolation and Memory Integrity: This uses virtualization to isolate computer processes. It stops malicious code from entering high-security areas of your system. Memory Integrity can be turned off if an old driver is not compatible with it.
• Security Processor (TPM 2.0): The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a hardware chip that stores encryption keys. It helps keep your PC secure during startup, and Windows 11 requires it.
• Secure Boot: This feature checks that your PC boots using only trusted software from the manufacturer. It is a firmware (UEFI) setting.
• Kernel-mode Hardware-enforced Stack Protection: This adds a layer of protection that stops attackers from hijacking your system’s memory. It needs a processor that supports it, so it does not appear on every PC.
• Credential Guard: This protects your login information by storing it in a virtualized container.
• Local Security Authority (LSA) Protection: This prevents unauthorized processes from accessing sensitive system memory, such as the memory that holds credentials.

Best Practices for a Secure Environment

Hiding the page does not make your PC safer or less safe, so keep up the basic habits too. Keep your firmware and drivers updated. Turn on Memory Integrity in the Device Security settings if your hardware supports it. Avoid downloading software from unverified sources. Make sure the Microsoft vulnerable driver blocklist is active, so known exploits through bad drivers are blocked.

If you plan to hide the page, check these settings first. Once the page is gone, users can no longer see warnings about them.

Why hide these settings?

You might want to hide the Device Security options if you manage a computer for others and do not want them changing security settings. A consistent security baseline is common in office and school environments, where one person sets the protections and everyone else just uses the PC.

It also helps on a family PC. Hiding the page stops a curious user from switching off Memory Integrity or opening firmware-related options by accident.

What happens when done?

What happens when you apply these changes?

The Device security page disappears from the Windows Security app. You see the change on the app’s home screen and in the left-hand menu. If you reverse the setting, the page comes back, depending on your configuration.

These changes do not disable any security feature. Core Isolation, Secure Boot, the TPM and the rest keep working as before. Only the user interface for Device security is hidden.

To undo the change, set the policy to Not Configured or Disabled in Group Policy, or set the registry value to 0. Both are explained below.

Hide or Show Device Security via Group Policy

You can hide Device Security with the Local Group Policy Editor if you have administrator access. This built-in tool lets you change system settings across your computer. It is the easiest way to remove the Device Security page entirely, and it suits anyone who manages several PCs.

The Local Group Policy Editor is only included in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. If you run Home, it will not appear in search, so skip to the Registry Editor method further down. To check your edition, go to Settings › System › About.

1. Click the Start button and type Edit group policy in the search🔍 box.

2. Select Edit group policy in the results. The Local Group Policy Editor opens, with a tree of folders in the left pane.

3. In the left pane, expand the folders until you reach this path:

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Security\Device security

4. In the right pane, double-click Hide the Device security area. A settings window with that name opens.

5. Choose one of the following options, then click Apply and OK:

• Not ConfiguredThe default setting. Windows shows the Device security area.
• EnabledHides the Device security area. Choose this to hide the page.
• DisabledShows the Device security area.

Close and reopen the Windows Security app to check the result. If the page is still there, restart the PC and look again.

Hide or Show Device Security via Registry

You can hide Device Security with the Registry Editor if you use Windows Home, which does not include the Group Policy editor. The registry is a database that stores low-level settings for the operating system and installed apps. Adding the right value here does the same job as the group policy.

Be careful in the registry, because a wrong change can cause problems. Sign in with an administrator account. Before you start, consider creating a restore point or exporting the key you are about to change.

Press the Win, type regedit, and open Registry Editor. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. Then go to this path:

🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Devicecopy security

Some of these keys (the folders in the left pane) may not exist yet. To create a missing one, right-click its parent key, choose New › Key, and type the name exactly as shown in the path. Repeat for each missing level until the full path exists and the Device security key is selected.

1. With the Device security key selected, right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New › DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new entry appears with its name highlighted.

2. Name the new value UILockdown and press Enter. The name is case-sensitive in practice, so type it exactly.

3. Double-click the UILockdown value to open it. Set the Value data box to 0 to show the section, or to 1 to hide it within the Windows Security app. Click OK.

4. Close the Registry Editor and restart your🔄 computer to apply the changes. When you open Windows Security again, the Device security page should be gone.

To bring the page back later, return to the same key and set UILockdown to 0, or delete the value, then restart.

Summary

Device Security gives Windows 11 important hardware protection against current threats. You can control whether the page appears in the Windows Security app with Group Policy on Pro, Enterprise and Education, or with the Registry on any edition, Home included. Either way, only the page is hidden. The protections underneath keep running.