The best cryptography in HTTPS got a helping hand for wider adoption, as Apache2 now incorporates TLS 1.3 support.
We have updated Apache2 in some of our LXC-based servers already, and the rest will be completed soon enough. Apache version 2.4.37 gives us this upgraded TLS support. #AWESOME.
And this upgrade is non-trivial. TLS 1.3 is very robust for deterring eavesdropping on your connections, for even a determined hacker. This is another step to improving the security of the internet, and we welcome and support it. TLS 1.3 is also FASTER, which is a welcome side-effect.
As part of our server-side Apache upgrade, this site now offers TLS 1.3 to your browser during the https handshake. And it works too, as shown in a snapshot of this site/post from one of our Android mobile devices:
“The connection uses TLS 1.3.” 👍
We are now contemplating disabling the cryptographically weaker TLS 1.1 connections with our sites now, which might block some users who still deploy old browsers, but it will make the connections more secure. We are thinking that perhaps causing some customer inconvenience (by blocking TLS 1.1) outweighs the risk of malware /cyberattacks on what might be OUR data. We encourage EVERYONE who visits this site to use modern, up-to-date browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox etc. We’ll post an update when we make the decision to actively block TLS 1.1, but if you use a really old browser, you might not ever read it because this site too will drop support of TLS 1.1 once we roll out that policy. 🙂
For the curious, we recommend you visit the excellent SSL-Labs site to test your servers (if any), the sites you visit and your actual web-browser. Happy browsing!