How to Hide the Firewall &Amp; Network Protection Section in Windows 11 Security App

Before You Begin

Changing system configuration carries risk. Before you start, create a System Restore point so you can roll back if something goes wrong. To do that, search for Create a restore point in the Start menu ⊞ and follow the prompts. Method 2 below involves editing the registry, so it needs one more safeguard, covered in that section.

This guide is for administrators and for users who manage shared computers. You need an administrator account for either method.

Why Hide the Firewall Section?

Hiding the Firewall & Network Protection area stops casual users from opening it and altering defensive settings. Office computers and family PCs benefit most. The Microsoft Defender Firewall stays active, and nobody is tempted to switch it off from the Windows Security app.

What Happens When You Are Done?

These steps remove the Firewall & Network Protection tab from Windows Security entirely. They hide only the user interface. They do not disable the firewall service. Background protection and firewall rules keep working as before.

Because the change hides the page rather than locking it, it is a visibility control, not a security boundary. Users with administrator rights can still manage the firewall by other means.

Method 1Using Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor (a tool for managing system settings across your PC) handles this on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Windows 11 Home does not include it, so Home users should skip to Method 2. You must be signed in as an administrator, or approve the prompt with administrator credentials.

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. The Local Group Policy Editor opens. If Windows says it cannot find the file, you are on Home edition.

2. In the left pane, go to Computer Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Windows Security › Firewall and network protection. The policy settings for that folder appear in the right pane.
3. Double-click Hide the Firewall and network protection area. A settings window for that policy opens.

4. Select Enabled to hide the section, or Not Configured to make it visible again. Then click Apply and OK.

Close Windows Security if it is open and launch it again. The Firewall & Network Protection tile should now be gone. If it still shows, sign out and back in, or restart the PC, so the policy is re-read.

To undo the change, return to the same policy and choose Not Configured. Choosing Disabled also leaves the section visible.

Method 2Using the Windows Registry

Windows 11 Home users manage this through the Windows Registry (a database storing low-level settings for the operating system and apps). Pro users can use it too, but Group Policy is the cleaner route. Take care here, because incorrect changes can cause system instability.

Administrator rights are required. This method writes to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, so the Registry Editor must run as an administrator. If you are signed in as a standard user, enter an administrator's credentials when asked. If you are an administrator, click Yes on the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. Without elevation, Windows will refuse to create or change the value.

1. Open the Registry Editor as an administrator. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run it elevated. Alternatively, search for regedit in the Start menu, right-click the result, and choose Run as administrator. Approve the UAC prompt. The Registry Editor window opens.

Back up the registry before you change anything. A System Restore point, which was suggested only in the general introduction at the top of this guide, is not enough on its own. Create one now if you skipped it. Also export a copy of the registry:

• In the Registry Editor, click File › Export.
• In the Export range section of the dialog, choose All to save the whole registry, or Selected branch to save only the key you have selected.
• Pick a location, type a file name, and click Save.

If something goes wrong, double-click the saved .reg file and confirm the prompt, or use File › Import in the Registry Editor, to restore the exported settings.

2. Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Firewall and network protection
3. If the entry is missing, right-click the parent folder and choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value (a common type of registry entry). Name it UILockdown. The new value appears in the right pane.
4. Double-click the value and set Value data to 1 to hide the section, or to 0 to show it. Click OK.

5. Restart the computer to apply the changes. After signing in, open Windows Security and check that the Firewall & Network Protection tile is gone.

To undo the change, set the value back to 0, or delete the value, and restart again.

Summary

Hiding the Firewall & Network Protection section is a simple way to lock down security settings on shared PCs. Both the Group Policy Editor and the Registry control visibility reliably. Group Policy is the safer choice where it is available. If you edit the registry, run the editor as an administrator, export a backup first, and double-check each value before you restart.