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win: relocate and document SecHealthUI #190
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- Move removal of `SecHealthUI` app to "Privacy over security" category.
- Emphasize disruptive behavior in the script name.
- Add comprehensive documentation
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undergroundwires committed Oct 6, 2023
1 parent 8501495 commit 2862951
Showing 1 changed file with 50 additions and 6 deletions.
56 changes: 50 additions & 6 deletions src/application/collections/windows.yaml
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[4]: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/safeguards-scsem-win-11-v1-1-033122.xlsx "Windows 11 SafeGuards | irs.gov"
code: reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments" /v "ScanWithAntiVirus" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
revertCode: reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments" /v "ScanWithAntiVirus" /t REG_DWORD /d "3" /f
-
name: Remove "Windows Security app" (`SecHealthUI`) (breaks Windows Security user interface)
docs: |-
This script uninstalls the "Windows Security app" [1], also known as `SecHealthUI` [1] [2] [3].

The Windows Security app is a tool that aids users in safeguarding their computer systems [4]. It monitors the computer's health
state and provides alerts and guidance to address vulnerabilities, making these alerts visible through the Action Center [4].

While this enhances privacy, there's a trade-off with security. It can make the computer more vulnerable to threats, as it will no
longer alert the user about existing vulnerabilities and will not communicate updates to Action Center, where they are displayed to
the end user [4]. It will also break the user interface that allows you to configure other Windows security features, such as
Tamper Protection [5].

Uninstalling the Windows Security app enhances privacy by reducing the digital footprints and amount of personal and system data collected and
made visible:

- **Reduced Digital Footprints**: Disabling the Windows Security app can minimize the amount of personal and system data that is collected, shown
and sent to Microsoft, providing users with more control over their information. This reduces amount of data that can be used to study your
behavior, such as by inspecting detected threats that are visibhle in your Windows Security app [6]. So the Windows Security app, the system
leaves fewer digital traces that can be exploited to track user behavior or gather sensitive information.
- **More control over security settings**: Removing the user interface enforces the system owner to do changes programetically, removing the
risks for unintended misconfigurations, or restricting access to the users of the computer.
- **Limited Notifications and Alerts:** Users gain freedom from incessant notifications and alerts, which may sometimes inadvertently share
sensitive system or user data.
- **User Autonomy Over System Security:**: Users have the autonomy to choose alternative security measures and software, potentially opting
for solutions that prioritize privacy and have a more robust commitment to not sharing user data.
- **Enhanced anonymity**: This application is under [Microsoft's privacy policy](https://web.archive.org/web/20231006114659/https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement)
which allows Microsoft to send your data remote entities, constantly comunicate with Microsoft servers.

This is a separate app from each of the individual Defender features [7], and it is updated independently from the OS [8]. Even after
uninstallation, Windows will continue to send security notifications unless those notifications are separately disabled [9]. In a similar manner,
uninstalling the Windows Security app does not disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus or the Windows Defender Firewall [10].

> **Caution:** Uninstalling the Windows Security app is a significant action that should be undertaken with a clear understanding of the implications for
the security and operation of your computer system.

[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006113851/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-security-update-a6ac7d2e-b1bf-44c0-a028-41720a242da3 "Windows Security Update - Microsoft Support"
[2]: https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/195 "[BUG]: Uninstalling the SecHealthUI fails, despite the app being installed. · Issue #195 · undergroundwires/privacy.sexy"
[3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006113903/https://download.microsoft.com/download/e/1/0/e10a6884-2e7a-4d80-ac2f-884c39a2a1b2/5001337.csv "Services CSV file | microsoft.com"
[4]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006113932/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/devnotes/windows-security-center "The Windows Security app - Win32 apps | Microsoft Learn"
[5]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006115719/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/prevent-changes-to-security-settings-with-tamper-protection-31d51aaa-645d-408e-6ce7-8d7f8e593f87 "Prevent changes to security settings with Tamper Protection - Microsoft Support"
[6]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006115719/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-antivirus-windows?view=o365-worldwide "Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows | Microsoft Learn"
[7]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006115745/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/system-security/windows-defender-security-center/windows-defender-security-center#how-windows-security-works-with-windows-security-features "Windows Security - Windows Security | Microsoft Learn"
[8]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006115836/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5020779-the-vulnerable-driver-blocklist-after-the-october-2022-preview-release-3fcbe13a-6013-4118-b584-fcfbc6a09936 "KB5020779 The vulnerable driver blocklist after the October 2022 preview release - Microsoft Support"
[9]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006115826/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-security-notifications-6a59ce6a-e1e0-4795-b080-ba92d49644b2 "Windows Security notifications - Microsoft Support"
[10]: https://web.archive.org/web/20231006115845/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-security-center-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide "Microsoft Defender Antivirus in the Windows Security app | Microsoft Learn"
call:
function: UninstallSystemApp
parameters:
packageName: Microsoft.Windows.SecHealthUI
-
category: UI for privacy
children:
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function: UninstallSystemApp
parameters:
packageName: Microsoft.Windows.PinningConfirmationDialog
-
name: Windows Security GUI (Sec Health UI) app
call:
function: UninstallSystemApp
parameters:
packageName: Microsoft.Windows.SecHealthUI
-
name: Secondary Tile Experience app
docs: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/design/shell/tiles-and-notifications/secondary-tiles
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