RC4 Finally Gets the Fork
Leading browser makers say “no” to porous encryption algorithm
After years of complaints about ineffective encryption, the RC4 algorithm, which has been around since 1987, is finally being phased out. Artfully coordinated announcements from Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft state that they are officially abandoning RC4 and won't support it in future browser versions.
New versions of Firefox, Chrome, and the Microsoft browsers will not support RC4 after the end of this year. Of course, the leading browser vendors have known that RC4 is inadequate for years, but the browsers have supported a “fallback mode” for websites that demand RC4 encryption. In future versions, the browsers simply won't connect to websites that ask for RC4 encryption.
This unified action from three leading browser vendors should increase the pressure on web server operators to upgrade their systems to eliminate RC4.
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