SSL/TLS Best Practices for 2026

SSL/TLS configuration has changed significantly. This is the current state of best practices as of 2026 — what to enable, what to disable, and what’s coming.

Protocol versions

Nginx: ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3; Apache: SSLProtocol all -SSLv3 -TLSv1 -TLSv1.1

Cipher suites

TLS 1.3 (no configuration needed)

All 5 cipher suites are secure. Don’t try to customize — you can’t make it better.

TLS 1.2 (restrict to AEAD only)

# Nginx
ssl_ciphers 'ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256';
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers off;

Rules:

• Only ECDHE-* suites — ensures forward secrecy
• Only *-GCM-* or *-CHACHA20-* — AEAD ciphers only
• No CBC ciphers — vulnerable to BEAST, Lucky13
• ssl_prefer_server_ciphers off — let the client choose (modern clients pick the best option)

Certificate management

Security headers

# HSTS — always use HTTPS (start with short max-age, increase later)
add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains" always;

# Prevent MIME-type sniffing
add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;

# Prevent clickjacking
add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always;

# Upgrade insecure sub-resources
add_header Content-Security-Policy "upgrade-insecure-requests" always;

HSTS deep dive →

Performance optimization

Complete Nginx config (production-ready)

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    listen [::]:443 ssl http2;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/ssl/fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/privkey.pem;

    ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
    ssl_ciphers 'ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256';
    ssl_prefer_server_ciphers off;

    ssl_session_cache shared:SSL:10m;
    ssl_session_timeout 1d;
    ssl_session_tickets off;

    ssl_stapling on;
    ssl_stapling_verify on;
    resolver 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 valid=300s;

    add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=63072000; includeSubDomains" always;
    add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;
    add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always;

    root /var/www/html;
}

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;
    return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}

Test: Paste your domain at SSL Labs — this config should score A+.

What NOT to do

Frequently asked questions

How do I test my SSL configuration?

SSL Labs Server Test — enter your domain, get a detailed report with a letter grade (A-F). Check protocol support, cipher strength, chain validity, and known vulnerabilities.

What grade should I target?

A+ for production sites. This requires: TLS 1.2+ only, AEAD ciphers, valid chain, HSTS with long max-age. The config above achieves A+.

How often should I review my SSL config?

Annually, or when a new vulnerability is announced. Subscribe to Let’s Encrypt’s status page and follow the Mozilla SSL Configuration Generator for updated recommendations.

Is there a tool that generates the right config for me?

Yes — Mozilla SSL Configuration Generator. Select your server (Nginx, Apache, etc.), your server version, and it generates a recommended config. The “Modern” profile matches the practices in this article.