An interactive session is a live environment where a person can directly use keyboard and mouse input to control what is running on screen. In Windows and similar systems, this is the kind of session a user normally works in at the console or through a remote desktop connection.
In cyber security, interactive sessions matter because they reveal when a human is actively operating a system. Attackers use them for hands-on-keyboard actions such as opening browsers, running tools, moving through web accounts, and changing settings. Hidden-desktop malware and remote-control tools can create a second interactive session that the victim cannot see, making the compromise harder to notice. Defenders look for unexpected session creation, unusual remote-control software, desktop switching, and logon patterns that do not match normal user behavior. Monitoring interactive activity helps distinguish routine user work from stealthy operator control.