Microsoft has announced the discontinuation of using encryption keys with RSA algorithm shorter than 2048 bits. This renders the RSA 1024-bit keys, which have been in use for a long time, unusable.
RSA 1024-bit encryption keys are resilient to attacks up to 80 bits, which is considered insufficient in today’s standards. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) abandoned the use of RSA 1024-bit keys in 2013, replacing them with RSA 2048-bit keys or ECDSA 256-bit keys.
This change will take effect in March 2024, causing Windows 11 Insiders to no longer be able to connect via TLS using old keys. Servers still using outdated keys will be under pressure to switch to newer keys because Windows 11 clients will no longer be supported.
TLDR: Microsoft is phasing out RSA 1024-bit encryption keys in favor of stronger encryption standards, affecting Windows 11 users and servers.
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