A better internet is upon us in 2020 as Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla announced yesterday that they end the outdated Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 and 1.1 support in their respective web browsers come 2020. Four of the biggest technological trailblazers are taking a huge step in an effort to improve online security.
This move is a response to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) deciding to make TLS 1.0 and 1.1 obsolete. Major web browsers are already offering TLS 1.2 support and are planning to accommodate the more advanced TLS 1.3 in the future. "Two decades is a long time for a security technology to stand unmodified. While we aren't aware of significant vulnerabilities with our up-to-date implementations of TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 [...] moving to newer versions helps ensure a more secure Web for everyone," Kyle Pflug, Senior Program Manager for Microsoft Edge, wrote on their official blog post.
Why You Should Upgrade Your Website’s Protocol
The PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) set a deadline for disabling TLS 1.0 and 1.1 last June 30, 2018. So by now, your website should be able to support TLS 1.2 or higher. If not, you’ll be part of the minority who are now more susceptible to cyberattacks. Since the deadline was set, 94% of websites have already upgraded their protocols to TLS 1.2 based on the latest SSL Labs survey. "Less than one percent of daily connections in Microsoft Edge are using TLS 1.0 or 1.1," Pflug also wrote on their blog.
But how exactly will this benefit you in the long run? A whole lot, we say. For one, TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are outdated protocols. After various vulnerabilities threatened to destroy the internet as we know it, security experts worked hard to update the protocol to prevent bigger exploits in the future. The IETF recently approved the latest version, TLS 1.3, and as a best practice, webmasters are encouraged to configure their web servers to support the updated security protocol. An outdated protocol just opens you up for stronger attacks, even if you’re using the strongest SSL Certificate.
How to Check the Protocol Your Website Supports
If you’re not sure what protocol your website is currently supporting, you can use GlobalSign’s free SSL Server Test. Using our free tool, you can check if your website is still supporting SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1, the old versions of the security protocol. To further gather information about these protocols, you can visit our support website. Please be reminded that you don’t need to change your certificates for this TLS upgrade. You just have to properly configure your servers for it to work properly.
