This article applies to:
Question:
Response:
SEG allows you to select a preferred level of encryption for TLS connections.
You can set the minimum cipher strength to LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH as per business requirements.
- High strength includes only the newest and most secure cipher suites, usually with 256 bit encryption
- Medium strength also includes many cipher suites with 128 bit encryption, and excludes older and less secure cipher suites
- Insecure Compatibility strength (known as Low strength in versions below 8.0) includes older and less secure cipher suites
Note that this is a minimum setting (the stronger ciphers will always be available and attempted first).
To set this option, see the TLS properties:
- Outbound Security (TLS), in SEG Properties (Trustwave SEG Properties, Sender Properties section)
- Inbound Security (TLS), in the properties of each processing node (Mail Servers > [select a server] > Server Properties
SEG also allows you to specify the protocol (SSL or TLS version) required for the connection. Refer to
- Article Q19541: Specify the protocol to use with TLS in versions 7.3 and above
Recommendations:
Trustwave recommends you evaluate these options based on organizational requirements.
However a minimum of Medium strength combined with high version level protocol would be recommended to ensure security. Lower strength ciphers are no longer considered to be secure.
- The "low" option has been renamed "Insecure Compatibility" to reflect that these ciphers should not be used, unless absolutely required.
Notes:
- Trustwave SEG 8.0 and above renames the "low" option to Insecure Compatibility. This setting should not be used, unless absolutely required.
- Trustwave SEG 7.5.7 implements an updated TLS/SSL library that uses new Diffie-Hellman cipher suites. Some older email software is not compatible with these suites and fails to negotiate. If you encounter issues sending email over TLS with version 7.5.7 or above, upgrade to 8.0, or see article Q20741 for a suggested resolution.
- Trustwave SEG 7.3.5 disables use of ciphers with Anonymous Authentication, as well as MD5, RC4, and IDEA ciphers. Disabling these ciphers meets current best practices. Note that SSLv2 is effectively disabled by this change as no ciphers will be available for use with this protocol version.
- MailMarshal SEG 7.0 introduces rule based certificate testing. This ability can also enhance security. For more information see the documentation for the rule condition "Where the negotiated TLS parameters match criteria" (available for both Connection and Content Analysis rules).
