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Configure TLS 1.2 as default secure Protocol On Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Let say you are running Exchange Server 2010 installed on Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 x64(bit), and when you remotely open Outlook Web Access (OWA to the Exchange Server) in your Google Chrome web browser it alerts you that the installed SSL certificate is insecure. When you check the detail about the SSL certificate, the web browser is letting you know that the configured SSL protocols on the server are deprecated.

Get an SSL Report of your Web Server's TLS and SSL configuration

As the Administrator, you first run an SSL Test and analysis of your webserver using the Qualys SSL Labs' SSL test from here: https://ssllabs.com/ssltest/ in order to analyze which Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols are available, enabled and/or set as default within the registry of your Server. Before inputting your server's web address to run these tests and to obtain a report, it is recommended for the sake of your webserver's privacy that you check the checkbox next to: “Do not show the results on the boards.”

Update to enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 as default secure protocols in WinHTTP in Windows

The Windows update (Described in Knowledge base article KB3140245) provides support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.1 and TLS 1.2 in Windows Server 2012, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

To obtain the stand-alone package for this update (KB3140245), go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website here: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=kb3140245 and download and install the catalog update applicable to your server, such as the Update for Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 Edition (KB3140245).

Prerequisites for your server: To apply this update, your Windows Server 2008 R2 must have installed Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

To understand why this update is or may be necessary, please review this Microsoft Support article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-to-enable-tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-as-default-secure-protocols-in-winhttp-in-windows-c4bd73d2-31d7-761e-0178-11268bb10392

Configuration Information for TLS 1.2.

See: https://support.laserfiche.com/kb/1013919/configuration-information-for-tls-1-2 or

https://support.laserfiche.com/kb/1013919/raw

Before attempting to edit your Windows registry, MAKE A BACKUP FILE OF YOUR REGISTRY.

In order to open the Windows Registry in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, First click the Windows “Start” button, and in the Run box input 'regeit.exe' (without the single quote marks) and press the enter key on your keyboard.

At the top of the Window's registry tree, select “Computer” right click on “Computer” and left click “Export” and then supply a name to the registry backup file, and save this exported copy of your registry in a folder (directory) where in the future you can locate and import this registry backup if you happen to make a huge mistake while editing the Windows registry.

Configure the Registry to Turn on TLS 1.2

In the registry, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols

Under the Protocols key, create a new Key that you will name as TLS 1.2. How? Right click on the Protocols key, and left click on New and left click on Key and input the name of the new key as being TLS 1.2 and press enter or click on any white space to set the name of the new key.

In the same manner, create two new subkeys under the key that is named TLS 1.2 and name these two new subkeys as Client and Server respectively.

In the Registry, browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client and Create a new DWORD value named: DisabledByDefault and Set the value to: 0 (hexadecimal)

How? Right click on the Client subkey, and left click on new - DWord 32bit and name the Dword as DisabledByDefault and right click the new Dword that is named DisabledByDefault and select 'Modify' and set the value as 0 with the radio button for hexadecimal selected.

Also, under the Client subkey, create a new DWORD value named: Enabled and set the value to 1 (hexadecimal).

Now, in the Registry, browse to the new subkey named Server located at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server

In the same manner under the Server subkey, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named: DisabledByDefault and set its value in hexadecimal to: 0

In the same manner under the Server subkey, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named: Enabled and set its value to 1

Enable TLS 1.2 by default for WinHTTP

Add the DefaultSecureProtocols DWORD value to the: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp registry key and

Add the DefaultSecureProtocols DWORD value to the: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp registry key.

How? From the Windows search bar, use regedit to open the Window Registry Editor. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp. Create a new DWORD value named: DefaultSecureProtocols

and set the value of this new Dword (in hexadecimal) to: 800

On a 64-bit version of Windows, ALSO browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp and repeat the previous step by

Creating a new DWORD value named: DefaultSecureProtocols

And set the value of this new Dword (in hexadecimal) to: 800.

Block RC4 in .NET TLS

If you have .NET Framework 4.x installed on the server, you should:

Add a SchUseStrongCrypto DWORD value to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319 registry key and also add it to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319 registry key.

From the Windows search bar, use regedit to open the Window Registry Editor. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319. Create a new DWORD value named: SchUseStrongCrypto

Set the value to: 1

On a 64-bit version of Windows, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319 and repeat this same procedure by–

Creating a new DWORD value named: SchUseStrongCrypto

and setting the value to: 1

Note: Restart the computer after modifying the registry