What are the implications of disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 for outgoing email and what alternatives are available?

Summary

Disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 enhances email security by addressing known vulnerabilities, but it may cause compatibility issues with older systems that don't support TLS 1.2 or higher. While most outbound traffic uses TLS 1.2 or higher, a portion still relies on older versions or transmits in clear-text. Upgrading to TLS 1.2/1.3 is strongly recommended and, in some cases, required for compliance (e.g., PCI). Implementing MTA-STS/DANE can further improve security, requiring validated TLS 1.2 connections. Configuration guides are available to assist with disabling older protocols and enabling newer ones. It is crucial to monitor connection logs, test configurations, and communicate changes to users, especially those using older email clients. Consider also STARTTLS and SMTP Authentication for secure connections. Ensure servers are configured to negotiate the highest TLS version possible, keeping in mind that incorrectly configured MTA-STS policies can lead to deliverability issues. Prioritize security best practices and assess the impact on older systems before disabling TLS 1.0/1.1.

Key findings

  • Security Improvement: Disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 removes security vulnerabilities associated with older protocols.
  • Compatibility Issues: Older systems that do not support TLS 1.2 or higher may experience connection failures.
  • Encryption Usage: The majority of email traffic uses TLS 1.2+, but a small percentage may still rely on older versions or transmit in clear-text.
  • Compliance Requirements: Disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 is necessary for some compliance standards (e.g., PCI).
  • MTA-STS/DANE Benefits: Implementing MTA-STS/DANE enhances transit security by requiring validated TLS 1.2 connections.
  • STARTTLS Functionality: STARTTLS upgrades unencrypted connections to encrypted ones on the same port, supporting opportunistic TLS.
  • Deprecation: TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are officially deprecated and considered obsolete.

Key considerations

  • Monitoring and Logging: Monitor connection logs to identify systems still using older TLS versions.
  • Testing Configurations: Test different configurations to ensure compatibility and avoid disruptions.
  • User Communication: Communicate changes to users, especially those using older email clients.
  • Alternative Security Measures: Consider implementing STARTTLS and SMTP Authentication for secure connections.
  • MTA-STS Configuration: Properly configure MTA-STS policies to avoid deliverability issues.
  • Upgrade Planning: Plan for upgrading older systems to support TLS 1.2 or higher.
  • Negotiation Settings: Ensure servers are configured to negotiate the highest TLS version possible.
  • Impact Assessment: Carefully assess the impact on older systems before disabling TLS 1.0/1.1.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

Disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 enhances security but may cause compatibility issues with older systems. While most outbound traffic uses TLS 1.2 or higher, some older systems still rely on older protocols or transmit in clear-text. Upgrading to TLS 1.2/1.3 is recommended, along with considering MTA-STS/DANE for better security. Monitoring connection logs, testing configurations, and communicating changes to users are essential. It's also important to consider STARTTLS and SMTP Authentication for secure connections.

Key opinions

  • Security Improvement: Disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 improves email security by removing known vulnerabilities.
  • Compatibility Issues: Older systems that do not support TLS 1.2 or higher may experience connection failures.
  • Encryption Usage: Most email traffic uses TLS 1.2+, but a small percentage still uses older versions or transmits in clear-text.
  • MTA-STS/DANE: Adopting MTA-STS/DANE enhances transit security and requires validated TLS 1.2 connections.
  • PCI Compliance: Disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 is often a requirement for PCI compliance.

Key considerations

  • Monitoring: Monitor connection logs to identify systems still using older TLS versions.
  • Testing: Test different configurations to ensure compatibility and avoid disruptions.
  • Communication: Communicate changes to users, especially those using older email clients.
  • Alternatives: Consider implementing STARTTLS and SMTP Authentication for secure connections alongside TLS upgrades.
  • MTA-STS Impact: Be aware that incorrectly configured MTA-STS policies can lead to deliverability issues.
Marketer view

Email marketer from cPanel Forums shares that disabling older TLS versions is a good security practice, but it's crucial to ensure that the server and client configurations support newer versions. They suggest testing different configurations to ensure compatibility and avoiding disruption to email services.

June 2022 - cPanel Forums
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that based on surveys, disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 will result in some clear-text transmissions from older systems. He also states that >97% of outbound was TLSv1.2 and most of the rest was clear-text.

January 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that their usage rate of TLS1.2/TLS1.3 is around 99.3%. They validate a policy for just over half of their mail for MTA-STS, and encountered ~50 domains with broken MTA-STS implementations in the last 30 days, resulting in a 0.00013% increase in bounces for customers. Requiring TLS1.2+ would have a much larger impact than honoring MTA-STS.

October 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from MXToolbox states that using TLS ensures secure connections between mail servers and clients, preventing eavesdropping. They discuss that all email communication should occur over TLS 1.2 or greater. MXToolbox further goes on to share that by leveraging TLS you can protect sensitive data and meet compliance requirements.

November 2022 - MXToolbox
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that enabling TLS 1.2 or higher and disabling older versions is crucial for modern email security. They discuss the impact on older email clients and the importance of communicating these changes to users.

January 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 is necessary for PCI compliance. The potential implication is that older systems will not be able to connect. The redditor suggests upgrading systems to support TLS 1.2 or higher and testing compatibility.

June 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests adopting MTA-STS/DANE for better transit security. He also notes that MTA-STS (at enforce) and DANE will not deliver unless it's a validated TLSv1.2 connection.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from StackOverflow answers that disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 can lead to issues if the receiving server doesn't support newer versions. He advises checking logs to see which connections are still using older TLS versions and suggests that while disabling older versions is good for security, you should monitor for compatibility issues.

December 2023 - StackOverflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Qualys discusses the impact of disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 from a security perspective, emphasizing the need for upgrading to TLS 1.2 and above. The blog post discusses the impact and advises that TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are insecure and should be disabled, detailing the steps and timelines for doing so. Also, that by upgrading to TLS 1.2 or 1.3, this will increase email security.

January 2023 - Blog.Qualys.com
Marketer view

Email marketer from IONOS discusses the importance of TLS for encrypting emails and protecting against eavesdropping. IONOS recommends using the latest TLS version (1.3 or 1.2) to secure email communications and prevent unauthorized access.

April 2024 - IONOS
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog explains that disabling TLS 1.0/1.1 improves security but may cause compatibility issues with older systems. Alternatives include upgrading to TLS 1.2 or 1.3, but also considering implementing STARTTLS and SMTP Authentication (SMTP AUTH) to secure the connection between the email client and the mail server.

September 2024 - EmailOctopus Blog

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Enabling TLS is crucial for securing email. Modern systems should use TLS 1.2 or higher to avoid security vulnerabilities. STARTTLS upgrades unencrypted connections to encrypted ones on the same port, supporting opportunistic TLS. Servers should be configured to negotiate the highest TLS version possible.

Key opinions

  • TLS Importance: Enabling TLS is a critical step for securing email domains.
  • TLS Versions: Modern systems should use TLS 1.2 or higher to avoid security vulnerabilities.
  • STARTTLS Function: STARTTLS upgrades unencrypted connections to encrypted (TLS) connections on the same port.

Key considerations

  • Negotiation: Servers should be configured to negotiate the highest TLS version possible.
  • Opportunistic TLS: STARTTLS is important for opportunistic TLS, where encryption is used if available.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that STARTTLS is a protocol command that upgrades an unencrypted connection to an encrypted (TLS) connection on the same port, instead of switching to a different port. It's important for opportunistic TLS, where encryption is used if available but not required.

October 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that ensuring your domains send secure email is of the utmost importance and one of those steps is to ‘enable TLS’.

October 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource shares that modern systems should use TLS 1.2 or higher. The risks of using older versions include security vulnerabilities. To address the issue of not supporting older versions, she advises that servers be properly configured to negotiate the highest TLS version possible.

May 2024 - Spam Resource

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are obsolete and deprecated. The main implication of disabling them is potential connection failures for older systems that don't support TLS 1.2 or higher. The recommended solution is to upgrade systems to TLS 1.2/1.3. Configuration guides are available to technically implement the disabling of older protocols and enabling newer ones, focusing on security best practices.

Key findings

  • Deprecation: TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are deprecated and considered obsolete.
  • Compatibility: Disabling older TLS versions may cause connection failures with older systems.
  • Upgrade Required: Upgrading systems to TLS 1.2 or higher is strongly advised and often required.
  • Configuration Guidance: Detailed guides are available to configure servers for TLS 1.2/1.3 and disable older versions.

Key considerations

  • Implementation: Follow technical documentation to properly implement disabling older protocols.
  • Impact Assessment: Assess the impact on older systems before disabling TLS 1.0/1.1.
  • Security: Prioritize security best practices when configuring TLS settings.
Technical article

Documentation from datatracker.ietf.org details that TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are considered obsolete and should be avoided. Systems should upgrade to TLS 1.2 or 1.3 to ensure secure communications. This is not an alternative but strong advice.

January 2025 - datatracker.ietf.org
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft Docs explains that they are deprecating TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in Exchange Online. The impacts include potential connection failures for older email clients and operating systems that do not support TLS 1.2 or higher. As an alternative, users must update their systems to support TLS 1.2 or higher.

August 2021 - Microsoft Docs
Technical article

Documentation from OpenSSL Wiki explains how to configure OpenSSL to disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1, enforcing the use of TLS 1.2 and higher. It provides guidance on setting the `MinProtocol` option in the OpenSSL configuration file. This documentation outlines how to technically implement the disabling of older protocols.

November 2023 - OpenSSL Wiki
Technical article

Documentation from Mozilla Wiki provides detailed guidance on configuring web servers for TLS, including disabling older versions and enabling TLS 1.2 and 1.3. It also includes security considerations and best practices for setting up secure email communication. This gives steps to follow when making changes.

November 2021 - Mozilla Wiki

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