June 4, 2024 at 11:44AM
Microsoft has deprecated NTLM authentication on Windows and Windows servers, urging a transition to Kerberos or Negotiation authentication. This is due to security concerns, including cyberattacks like ‘NTLM Relay.’ Users and developers are recommended to utilize auditing tools to facilitate the transition. The replacement can generally be achieved with a one-line change, with fallback support in Negotiate.
Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
– Microsoft has officially deprecated NTLM authentication on Windows and Windows servers, urging developers to transition to more secure alternatives like Kerberos and Negotiate to prevent future problems.
– NTLM, first released in 1993, is no longer under active development as of June and will be phased out, considering its vulnerability to cyberattacks and performance issues.
– Despite new measures introduced by Microsoft, NTLM authentication is still vulnerable to cyberattacks, and its encryption and performance are considered subpar compared to more modern protocols like Kerberos.
– The phase-out process will still allow NTLM to work in the next release of Windows Server and the next annual release of Windows, but users and application developers are advised to transition to Negotiate.
– System administrators should utilize auditing tools to understand how NTLM is being used within their environment and plan a transition accordingly.
– Replacing NTLM with Negotiate for most applications can be achieved by a one-line change in the ‘AcquireCredentialsHandle’ request to the Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI). However, some exceptions may require more extensive changes.
– Negotiate has a built-in fallback to NTLM to mitigate compatibility issues during the transition period, and administrators can refer to Microsoft’s Kerberos troubleshooting guide for authentication problems.
These takeaways highlight the urgency for system administrators and developers to transition away from NTLM and towards more secure authentication protocols like Kerberos and Negotiate, and the need to plan and execute this transition carefully to ensure a smooth process.