TLS 1.3 will be enabled by default in test builds of Windows 10

Last week, Microsoft announced the inclusion of TLS 1.3 in the latest builds of Windows 10 (starting with version 20170).

TLS 1.3 is enabled by default in IIS / HTTP.SYS. Microsoft Edge Legacy and Internet Explorer administrators can enable support for this protocol in Internet Options (Advanced Settings menu).

The new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser features native TLS 1.3 support. It does not use the Windows TLS stack.

In addition, support for TLS 1.3 will be added in .NET 5.0+.

Enabling TLS 1.3 in Windows 10 builds is one of the important steps towards wider implementation of the security protocol in this operating system. It is not yet known when Microsoft plans to include this protocol in stable versions of Windows exactly. This is unlikely to happen in the next Windows 10 update. The most likely candidate is the 21H1 Windows 10 release scheduled for next year.

The approximate date for the transition to TLS 1.3 in Windows 10 coincides with the disabling of TLS 1.0 and 1.1, something that Microsoft has already announced will happen (though not until spring 2021).

The company wanted to ditch outdated versions of TLS 1.0 and 1.1 protocols in its Windows operating system in the first half of 2020. This initiative was also supported by Google, Mozilla and Apple. TLS 1.3 may already be enabled in Chrome and Firefox.

However, the global pandemic has meant that adjustments have had to be made to this process, and therefore Microsoft experts noted that both protocols will not be disabled until the spring of 2021.

TLS 1.3 promises better security and better performance than older protocol versions. Microsoft recommends developers start testing TLS 1.3 in their applications and services as soon as possible.

Windows 10 stack will support three sets of ciphers for security purposes:

• TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
• TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
• TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256

The first two cipher suites are enabled by default.

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