Local Security Authority, often known as LSA protection, is an essential part of Windows to keep ransomware attacks away. You are up for a potential security threat when the option is turned off on your Windows PC. Many have complained about disabled LSA protection after the latest Windows update on their PCs. If you have faced the same, here are the best ways to fix the ‘Local Security Authority protection is turned off’ error in Windows.
You can always wait for the future Windows update to fix the problem. But we don’t recommend waiting till the next update to troubleshoot such a critical issue. Instead, use the steps below to enable security protection on Windows. Let’s get started.
Why Is Local Security Authority Protection Is Turned Off
Before we go through the troubleshooting tricks, let’s learn several factors affecting the LSA protection on Windows.
Corrupt Windows updates: Microsoft is infamous for pushing out buggy Windows updates. One of the Windows updates may have disabled LSA protection without your consent.
A disabled Security boot: If you disable Security Boot, it may turn off the LSA protection.
Windows Policy messing up the LSA: A wrong tweak in the Group Policy editor can disable the Local Security Authority protection on your Windows PC.
Whatever the reason, here are the best ways to fix the ‘Local Security Authority protection is turned off’ issue.
1. Enable Local Security Authority Protection
You can manually enable the Local Security Authority protection from the Windows Security menu. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Windows Security. Hit Enter.
Step 2: Select Device Security from the sidebar. Open Security processor details.
Step 3: Enable the LSA protection from the following menu.
When the UAC prompt appears, click OK.
2. Use Registry Editor
You can enable LSA from the Registry Editor too. Follow the steps below to make changes.
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys to open the Run menu. Type regedit and hit Enter.
Step 2: Go to the following path.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
Step 3: Find RunAsPPL from the right sidebar. Double-click on it.
Step 4: Change the value data to 1 and click OK.
Restart the Windows PC to apply the changes, and you are good to go.
3. Make Tweaks in the Local Group Policy Editor
You can enable LSA protection from the Group Policy Editor. The software isn’t available on Windows 11 Home. You need to have Windows 11 Pro to access it. If you are running Windows 11 Home, skip the steps below.
Step 1: Hit the Windows key and search for Group Policy Editor. Press Enter.
Step 2: Move to the following menu.
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Local Security Authority
Step 3: Select the ‘Configure LSASS to run as a protected process’ from the sidebar.
Step 4: Click the radio button beside ‘Enabled’ and hit OK.
Restart your Windows PC to apply the changes.
4. Update Windows
Microsoft is aware of the ‘LSA protection is turned off’ issue on Windows. The software giant is usually quick to resolve glaring problems. Microsoft may have fixed the security issues in the latest software build. It’s time to update Windows to the latest version.
Step 1: Go to Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys.
Step 2: Select Windows Update from the sidebar and install the latest Windows build on your PC.
If you face issues with downloading the Windows update, use our dedicated post to fix the issue.
Secure Your Windows PC
Running your Windows PC with LSA protection off is never a good idea. Before your system gets hit with cyber attacks, use the tricks above to enable LSA protection in no time. Do let us know the trick that worked for you.
