Microsoft will soon disable Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 and 1.1 by default in its Edge web browser. Edge had originally planned to pull the plug on the support for TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 in the first half of 2020. However, the company has postponed this planned change in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
Microsoft postpones plan to disable TLS 1.0 & TLS 1.1 in Edge
In his recent blog post, Kyle Pflug, Principal PM Lead of Microsoft Edge Developer Experience, wrote:
“Microsoft will soon disable Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 and 1.1 by default in Microsoft browsers. In light of current global circumstances, we will be postponing this planned change—originally scheduled for the first half of 2020.”
Microsoft will not disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1 for the new Chromium-based Edge, at least before the release of Microsoft Edge version 84, which is planned for July 2020. Meanwhile, all supported versions of Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge Legacy, which is based on EdgeHTML, will not support TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 by default starting September 8, 2020.
Back in October 2018, Microsoft originally revealed its plans to get rid of TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 by default in supported versions of Microsoft Edge and Interest Explorer in the first half of 2020.
It happens to be part of the company’s plan to modernize TLS connections in Microsoft Edge and Inter Explorer 11 web browsers in the form of TLS 1.3.
Microsoft says these connections will remain available for customers to re-enable as and when needed. Meanwhile, Microsoft is recommending organizations to move on from TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 sooner.
“Newer versions of the TLS protocol enable more modern cryptography and are broadly supported across modern browsers, such as the new Microsoft Edge.”
Tech companies such as Google, Mozilla, and Apple have already dropped TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 in favor of more secure connections. As a result, Microsoft doesn’t wish to be left behind. Last year, TLS 1.0 completed its 20th anniversary.
