Microsoft to Deprecate Legacy TLS and Endpoints for POP and IMAP in Exchange Online
Microsoft announced plans to deprecate legacy Transport Layer Security (TLS) versions and older endpoints for POP3 and IMAP4 connections in Exchange Online, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security. The update will phase out older TLS protocols and legacy connection endpoints that do not meet modern security standards. Organizations using outdated configurations will need to update clients and systems to supported versions to maintain connectivity. Email clients and libraries will need to be able to support TLS 1.2 or higher for a smooth Exchange experience.
Exchange Online supports email access through POP and IMAP, often used by legacy applications and devices. The changes are intended to reduce exposure to vulnerabilities associated with older encryption protocols and improve overall protection of data in transit. Security teams have been pushing to eliminate legacy protocols that can introduce risk into enterprise environments. Microsoft said it will start to block legacy version connections starting in July 2026.
Posted by Redmondmag.com Editors on 04/28/2026