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CIS ISO NIST CSF Essentials SOC

Automatic login is off

Time to fix

< 1m

What

Automatic login allows accessing your computer without prompting for authentication (password or biometric). This feature automatically logs you into your user account when the system starts.

Why you should turn off Automatic login

You do not want to allow access to your computer without authentication. This is to prevent anyone with physical access from being able to use your computer and access your files and data.

How to disable Automatic login

GNOME (Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.)

  • Open Settings
  • Navigate to Users
  • Click on your user account
  • Turn off Automatic Login

KDE Plasma

  • Open System Settings
  • Go to Startup and Shutdown → Login Screen (SDDM)
  • In the Advanced tab, ensure Automatically log in is set to None

XFCE

  • Open Settings Manager
  • Click on Users and Groups
  • Ensure automatic login is disabled for all user accounts

Command Line Method

For systems using GDM (GNOME Display Manager):

sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Ensure these lines are commented out or removed:

# AutomaticLoginEnable=true
# AutomaticLogin=username

For systems using LightDM:

sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

Ensure these lines are commented out:

# autologin-user=
# autologin-user-timeout=0