5.8 Ensure a Password is Required to Wake the Computer From Sleep or Screen Saver Is Enabled

Information

Sleep and screensaver modes are low power modes that reduce electrical consumption while the system is not in use.

Rationale:

Prompting for a password when waking from sleep or screensaver mode mitigates the threat of an unauthorized person gaining access to a system in the user's absence.

Impact:

Without a screenlock in place anyone with physical access to the computer would be logged in and able to use the active user's session.

Solution

Perform the following to enable a password for unlock after a screen saver begins or after sleep:
Graphical Method:

Open System Preferences

Select Security & Privacy

Select General

Set Require password after or screensaver begins with a time of immediately or '5 seconds'

Profile Method:

Create or edit a configuration profile with the PayLoadType of com.apple.screensaver

Add the key askForPassword

Set the key to </true>

Add the key askForPasswordDelay

Set the key to <integer><0,5></integer>

Additional Information:

This only protects the system when the screen saver is running.

Note: The command line check in previous versions of the Benchmark does not work as expected here. The use of a profile is recommended for both implementation and auditing on a 10.13 system.

Issue https://blog.kolide.com/screensaver-security-on-macos-10-13-is-broken-a385726e2ae2

Profile to control screensaver https://github.com/rtrouton/profiles/blob/master/SetDefaultScreensaver/SetDefaultScreensaver.mobileconfig

See Also

https://workbench.cisecurity.org/files/3569

Item Details

Category: IDENTIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION

References: 800-53|IA-5, CSCv7|4.2

Plugin: Unix

Control ID: 6ef7407fdbdf65f366bc7dd3c3a8511fdc13ba426499bb0327567b2122de72a0