Farewell to NTLM

Microsoft Announces Deprecation of NTLM: What You Need to Know

Microsoft has announced its intention to deprecate the NTLM protocol, a widely used authentication mechanism in Windows environments.

What Does NTLM Deprecation Mean?

Deprecating NTLM doesn't mean you won't be able to use it anymore. Instead, it means that Microsoft will no longer provide new enhancements or additional features for the protocol. However, Microsoft will continue to provide security updates and fixes for NTLM to ensure user protection.

Campaign for Transition to Negotiate

Microsoft is encouraging organizations to start transitioning from NTLM to Negotiate, a more secure and modern protocol.

• Negotiate leverages protocols such as Kerberos and NTLM but offers enhanced security features and reduces the risks associated with NTLM.

Anticipated Challenges

Microsoft recognizes that migrating from NTLM to Negotiate can be a lengthy and complex process, especially in large and intricate environments.

• Environment Size: The larger and more complex the organization's infrastructure, the longer it will take to update systems and applications to use Negotiate.
• Compatibility: Some legacy systems or applications may not be fully compatible with Negotiate, necessitating updates or modifications.

Ongoing Security Support

Despite ceasing feature development for NTLM, Microsoft will continue to provide security support for the protocol.

• Vulnerability Fixes: Security updates will still be available to address any discovered vulnerabilities in NTLM.

Recommended Steps

1. Assessment and Analysis: Evaluate the current environment to understand the extent of NTLM usage.
2. Planning and Preparation: Develop a transition plan to move to Negotiate, covering all affected systems and applications.
3. Gradual Implementation: Roll out updates gradually to ensure minimal disruption to daily operations.

Conclusion

While the transition from NTLM to Negotiate requires effort and time, the security benefits and future-proofing make this transition essential for organizations aiming to safeguard their data and systems.