NewsPublished 2 Feb 2026

Microsoft Moves Closer to Disabling NTLM

Source SecurityWeek

Description

The next major Windows Server and Windows releases will have the deprecated authentication protocol disabled by default. The post Microsoft Moves Closer to Disabling NTLM appeared first on SecurityWeek .

Impact

For European organizations, the disabling of NTLM by default can significantly improve security by mitigating risks related to credential theft and relay attacks that exploit NTLM's weaknesses. However, organizations with legacy systems, older applications, or devices that rely on NTLM may face authentication failures, leading to potential service disruptions or operational downtime. This is particularly relevant for sectors with complex IT environments such as government, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, where legacy systems are common. The transition may require substantial IT resources to audit, test, and update authentication configurations, which could impact operational budgets and timelines. On the positive side, reducing NTLM usage aligns with compliance requirements around strong authentication and data protection under regulations like GDPR. Overall, the impact is a mix of enhanced security posture and the need for careful change management to avoid business interruptions.

Defensive guidance

European organizations should begin by conducting a comprehensive audit of their IT environments to identify all systems, applications, and devices that currently use NTLM for authentication. Tools such as Microsoft's NTLM auditing features and network monitoring can help detect NTLM traffic. Next, organizations should prioritize migrating these dependencies to Kerberos or other modern authentication protocols, ensuring compatibility and security. Testing in controlled environments is critical to identify potential issues before full deployment. For legacy systems that cannot be immediately updated, consider implementing NTLM blocking policies with exceptions and monitoring to minimize risk. Additionally, organizations should educate IT staff and stakeholders about the upcoming changes and develop a phased rollout plan to minimize operational impact. Maintaining up-to-date Windows Server and client OS versions will also ensure access to the latest security features and mitigations. Finally, review and update security policies to reflect the deprecation of NTLM and enforce strong authentication standards.

References

securityweek.com/microsoft-moves-closer-to-disabling-ntlm/ (opens in a new tab)

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Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 2 Feb 2026, 11:44 UTC

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