Why you should still use TLS1.2 (and not just TLS1.3) - StatusCake Knowledge Base - Website monitoring how-to guides (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between TLS v1 2 and TLS v1 3? ›

In a nutshell, TLS 1.3 is faster and more secure than TLS 1.2. One of the changes that makes TLS 1.3 faster is an update to the way a TLS handshake works: TLS handshakes in TLS 1.3 only require one round trip (or back-and-forth communication) instead of two, shortening the process by a few milliseconds.

While TLS 1.3 is more secure, not all devices, browsers, and servers support it. This means that if you are using TLS 1.3, some users may not be able to access your website or service, which can lead to decreased user engagement and potentially lost business.

TLS 1.3 is designed to replace TLS 1.2 over time as systems are upgraded. However, TLS 1.2 will co-exist with 1.3 during the transition period to ensure backward compatibility for older systems.

The internet standards and regulatory bodies have deprecated or disallowed TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1 due to several security issues.

Based on TLS 1.1, TLS 1.2 was released by the IETF in 2008 with the RFC-5246. To date, it's the most commonly used TLS protocol version. It's supported by 99.9% of the websites analyzed by SSL Labs (as of January 2023). Yup.

While TLS 1.2 can still be used, it is considered safe only when weak ciphers and algorithms are removed. On the other hand, TLS 1.3 is new; it supports modern encryption, comes with no known vulnerabilities, and also improves performance.

TLS 1.3 has fewer handshake messages to initiate the connection between devices, which are also encrypted. This accelerates the setup process but also limits the information visible to security devices that do not carry out decryption.

Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 is the successor to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) used by endpoint devices and applications to authenticate and encrypt data securely when transferred over a network. TLS protocol is a widely accepted standard used by devices such as computers, phones, IoTs, meters, and sensors.

The TLS 1.2 requires two round trips to complete the handshake process. TLS 1.3 combines the initial handshake and the negotiation of cryptographic parameters into one round trip.

Is TLS 1.3 still experimental? ›

IT'S OFFICIAL: THE TLS UPGRADE IS HERE

TLS 1.3 has been approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Simply put, it's up to you. Most browsers will allow the use of any SSL or TLS protocol. However, credit unions and banks should use TLS 1.1 or 1.2 to ensure a protected connection. The later versions of TLS will protect encrypted codes against attacks, and keep your confidential information safe.

It uses asymmetric encryption (i.e., a public key to encrypt data and a private key to decrypt it) at the start of a connection between the client and the server, and switches to symmetric encryption (i.e., the same key is used for encryption and decryption) after having exchanged session keys data.

TLS uses both asymmetric encryption and symmetric encryption. During a TLS handshake, the client and server agree upon new keys to use for symmetric encryption, called "session keys." Each new communication session will start with a new TLS handshake and use new session keys.

The most commonly used versions of TLS are TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2. However, both TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 are known to be quite vulnerable. TLS 1.2, on the other hand, is considered to be more secure. You can benefit greatly by enabling TLS 1.2 on your web browser.

The TLS 1.2 requires two round trips to complete the handshake process. TLS 1.3 combines the initial handshake and the negotiation of cryptographic parameters into one round trip.

What is TLS? Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 is the successor to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) used by endpoint devices and applications to authenticate and encrypt data securely when transferred over a network.

TLS 1.2 supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher suites, which are more secure than the Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) cipher suites used in TLS 1.1. AES is a block cipher that uses a 128-bit key, which makes it more secure than 3DES, which uses a 168-bit key.

There are three types of TLS certificates: Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV). Certificate authorities (CAs), like DigiCert, validate each type of certificate to a different level of user trust.