The State of SSL/TLS
We used GeoTrust SSL Monitor to analyze the security of the world's 1,000,000 most-visited websites.
Conformance with federal, PCI and NIST TLS requirements
How well do websites meet government security requirements?
Meets the TLS requirements of U.S. federal HTTPS policy: requirements met
OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf; CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security — conformance of observable TLS configuration to the standard's technical requirements. Applicable sites only; a requirement the scan cannot observe is excluded from its denominator.
Denominator: applicable sites (requirements the scan cannot observe are excluded) · n = 998,668
Most-failed requirement in all ranks: HSTS preload directive is present (CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01).
View as table
| Requirement | Citation | Pass share | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| All requirements | OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf; CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security | 5.5% | 998,668 |
| HTTPS is enforced | OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf | 78.7% | 998,668 |
| HSTS max-age is at least one year | CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security | 22.8% | 998,668 |
| HSTS preload directive is present | CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security | 9.4% | 998,668 |
| SSLv2 is disabled | OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf | 100% | 998,668 |
| SSLv3 is disabled | OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf | 99.6% | 998,668 |
| TLS 1.0 is disabled | CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security | 66% | 998,668 |
| TLS 1.1 is disabled | CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security | 64.5% | 998,668 |
| RC4 cipher suites are disabled | OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf | 99.1% | 998,668 |
| 3DES cipher suites are disabled | CISA Binding Operational Directive 18-01, Enhance Email and Web Security (2017), https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-18-01-enhance-email-and-web-security | 89.7% | 998,668 |
| Certificate is publicly trusted | OMB Memorandum M-15-13, Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services (2015), https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2015/m-15-13.pdf | 93.6% | 998,668 |
Meets the TLS requirements of U.S. federal HTTPS policy: conformance by government type
Share of applicable sites whose observable TLS configuration meets every technical requirement, against the all-sites benchmark. Cohorts with at least 100 applicable sites.
Denominator: applicable sites (requirements the scan cannot observe are excluded) · n per cohort in the table
View as table
| govType | All requirements met | Most-failed requirement | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| federal | 49% | HSTS preload directive is present | 533 |
| state | 15.2% | HSTS preload directive is present | 330 |
| Not government | 5.4% | HSTS preload directive is present | 996,730 |
| local | 2.9% | HSTS preload directive is present | 1,061 |
Meets the TLS requirements of PCI DSS 4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1: requirements met
PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf — conformance of observable TLS configuration to the standard's technical requirements. Applicable sites only; a requirement the scan cannot observe is excluded from its denominator.
Denominator: applicable sites (requirements the scan cannot observe are excluded) · n = 973,441
Most-failed requirement in all ranks: SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled (PCI Security Standards Council).
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| Requirement | Citation | Pass share | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| All requirements | PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf | 60.2% | 973,441 |
| TLS 1.2 or newer is supported | PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf | 100% | 973,441 |
| SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled | PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf | 63.5% | 973,441 |
| Weak cipher families are disabled | PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf | 89.4% | 973,441 |
| Certificate public key meets minimum strength | PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf | 100% | 973,441 |
| Certificate is trusted and unexpired | PCI Security Standards Council, PCI DSS v4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1 (2024), https://docs-prv.pcisecuritystandards.org/PCI%20DSS/Standard/PCI-DSS-v4_0_1.pdf | 96.1% | 973,441 |
Meets the TLS requirements of PCI DSS 4.0.1 Requirement 4.2.1: conformance by government type
Share of applicable sites whose observable TLS configuration meets every technical requirement, against the all-sites benchmark. Cohorts with at least 100 applicable sites.
Denominator: applicable sites (requirements the scan cannot observe are excluded) · n per cohort in the table
View as table
| govType | All requirements met | Most-failed requirement | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| federal | 94.7% | SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled | 531 |
| local | 91.2% | SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled | 1,055 |
| state | 85% | SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled | 326 |
| Not government | 60.1% | SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled | 971,515 |
Meets the TLS requirements of NIST SP 800-52r2: requirements met
NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 — conformance of observable TLS configuration to the standard's technical requirements. Applicable sites only; a requirement the scan cannot observe is excluded from its denominator.
Denominator: applicable sites (requirements the scan cannot observe are excluded) · n = 973,441
Most-failed requirement in all ranks: OCSP stapling recommendation is met (NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2).
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| Requirement | Citation | Pass share | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| All requirements | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 3.9% | 973,441 |
| TLS 1.2 is supported | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 99.3% | 973,441 |
| TLS 1.3 is supported | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 89.5% | 973,441 |
| SSLv2, SSLv3, TLS 1.0, and TLS 1.1 are disabled | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 63.5% | 973,441 |
| Forward-secrecy cipher suites are available | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 99.8% | 973,441 |
| Obsoleted CBC-only offering is absent | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 27.7% | 973,441 |
| Certificate public key meets minimum strength | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 100% | 973,441 |
| Certificate signature uses SHA-256 or stronger | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 99.9% | 973,441 |
| Secure renegotiation is supported | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 99.2% | 973,438 |
| OCSP stapling recommendation is met | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 8.3% | 973,441 |
| Certificate is publicly trusted | NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, Guidelines for TLS Implementations (2019), https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2 | 96.1% | 973,441 |
Meets the TLS requirements of NIST SP 800-52r2: conformance by government type
Share of applicable sites whose observable TLS configuration meets every technical requirement, against the all-sites benchmark. Cohorts with at least 100 applicable sites.
Denominator: applicable sites (requirements the scan cannot observe are excluded) · n per cohort in the table
View as table
| govType | All requirements met | Most-failed requirement | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| federal | 32.8% | OCSP stapling recommendation is met | 531 |
| state | 8.6% | OCSP stapling recommendation is met | 326 |
| Not government | 3.9% | OCSP stapling recommendation is met | 971,515 |
| local | 2.2% | OCSP stapling recommendation is met | 1,055 |
The requirements most often missed
HTTPS enforcement controls
The federal mandate hinges on HSTS, preload and HTTP→HTTPS redirects.
Denominator: websites · n = 1,000,000
View as table
| Measure | Share | Sites | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSTS adoption | 34.4% | 344,100 | 1,000,000 |
| HSTS preload directive | 9.4% | 93,900 | 1,000,000 |
| HTTPS redirects | 78.6% | 785,700 | 1,000,000 |
Legacy protocols and ciphers PCI DSS and NIST rule out
TLS 1.0/1.1, SSLv3, 3DES and RC4 still offered.
Denominator: deep-scanned websites · n = 973,441
View as table
| Measure | Share | Sites | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| TLS 1.0 offering | 34.9% | 339,634 | 973,441 |
| TLS 1.1 offering | 36.5% | 354,819 | 973,441 |
| SSLv3 offering | 0.4% | 3,796 | 973,441 |
| 3DES cipher family | 10.6% | 102,893 | 973,441 |
| RC4 cipher family | 0.9% | 8,566 | 973,441 |
TLS 1.0 by industry
Share of deep-scanned websites still accepting TLS 1.0 (lower is better).
Denominator: deep-scanned websites · n per cohort in the table
Government has the least TLS 1.0 at 18.5%; Gaming & Gambling the most at 57.1%.
View as table
| Slice | Share | vs benchmark | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming & Gambling | 57.1% | +22.3pp | 89,932 |
| Adult | 55.7% | +20.8pp | 24,873 |
| Media & Social | 44.8% | +9.9pp | 120,053 |
| Other | 41.4% | +6.5pp | 11,457 |
| News & Publishing | 38.6% | +3.7pp | 34,542 |
| Software & Internet | 33% | −1.9pp | 221,156 |
| Cloud & Infrastructure | 32.8% | −2.1pp | 53,540 |
| Education | 30.4% | −4.4pp | 102,118 |
| Travel & Local | 29.2% | −5.7pp | 58,256 |
| E-commerce & Retail | 26.6% | −8.3pp | 151,466 |
| Finance | 24.1% | −10.8pp | 34,232 |
| Healthcare | 22.8% | −12.1pp | 42,642 |
| Telecom | 21.3% | −13.6pp | 7,186 |
| Government | 18.5% | −16.4pp | 21,988 |
Government websites against the web
Not affected by the filter above.HSTS by government type
Federal, state, local and tribal .gov cohorts against the web average.
Denominator: websites · n per cohort in the table
federal leads at 85.4%; local trails at 31.9%.
View as table
| Slice | Share | vs benchmark | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| federal | 85.4% | +51pp | 534 |
| state | 52.1% | +17.7pp | 330 |
| Not government | 34.4% | −0pp | 998,061 |
| local | 31.9% | −2.5pp | 1,061 |
TLS 1.3 by government type
Share of deep-scanned websites accepting or negotiating TLS 1.3.
Denominator: deep-scanned websites · n per cohort in the table
Not government leads at 89.5%; local trails at 73.5%.
View as table
| Slice | Share | vs benchmark | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not government | 89.5% | +0pp | 971,515 |
| federal | 85.5% | −4pp | 531 |
| state | 83.4% | −6pp | 326 |
| local | 73.5% | −15.9pp | 1,055 |
TLS score
82.6 pts of 973,441 — TLS score
Denominator: deep-scanned websites · n per cohort in the table
View as table
| Cohort | Average score | vs benchmark | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| local | 90.4 pts | +7.8 pts | 1,055 |
| federal | 89.9 pts | +7.3 pts | 531 |
| state | 85.9 pts | +3.3 pts | 326 |
| Not government | 82.6 pts | −0 pts | 971,515 |