This short post discusses SQL Server Support for TLS 1.2. It is a recommended security best practice, to upgrade to Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol 1.2 as several known vulnerabilities have been reported against SSL and earlier versions of TLS. Many of us who work with SQL Server, we needed – or will need at a point – to check SQL Server’s Support for TLS 1.2 and probably come up with an action plan.
SQL Server 2016 or later
SQL Server 2016 and SQL Server 2017 ship with TLS 1.0 to TLS 1.2 support, so you do not need to install any TLS-related patches for these two versions of SQL Server in order to enabled TLS 1.2 because it is supported by default.
SQL Server 2008/R2, 2012, and 2014
Now, regarding the rest of the officially supported SQL Server versions (2008, 2008 R2, 2012, and 2014), Microsoft has released a Support KB article that features a table with the below information:
- SQL Server Release
- First build that supports TLS 1.2
- Download link for earlier builds
- Additional information
Using the information on the above table, you can check if your current version/build of SQL Server supports TLS 1.2 or if you need to install a Cumulative Update (CU) or just a specific patch.
As a side note, you should always keep your SQL Server instances patched up to the latest Service Pack (SP) or Cumulative Update (CU), after of course you first thoroughly test the SP or CU on a non-production environment and ensure that everything works well.
Strengthen your SQL Server Administration Skills – Enroll to our Online Course!
Enroll to our online course titled “Essential SQL Server Administration Tips” (special limited-time discount included in link).
Learn essential hands-on SQL Server Administration tips on SQL Server maintenance, security, performance, integration, error handling and more. Many live demonstrations and downloadable resources included!

Recommended Online Courses:
- Introduction to Azure SQL Database for Beginners
- SQL Server 2019: What’s New – New and Enhanced Features
- SQL Server Fundamentals – SQL Database for Beginners
- Essential SQL Server Administration Tips
- Boost SQL Server Database Performance with In-Memory OLTP
- Essential SQL Server Development Tips for SQL Developers
- Working with Python on Windows and SQL Server Databases
- Introduction to Computer Programming for Beginners
- .NET Programming for Beginners – Windows Forms with C#
- Introduction to SQL Server Machine Learning Services
- Entity Framework: Getting Started – Complete Beginners Guide
- How to Import and Export Data in SQL Server Databases
- Learn How to Install and Start Using SQL Server in 30 Mins
- A Guide on How to Start and Monetize a Successful Blog
Check our SQL Server Security Tool
DBA Security Advisor: Audit your SQL Server instances and databases for security misconfigurations. Run assessments against your SQL Server instances using a rich set of security checks. Get recommendations and remediation steps.
Learn more about DBA Security Advisor
Did you find this article useful and interesting? Feel free to leave your comment!
If you enjoy my SQL Server administration tips and articles, I have something special just for you. It is one of my eBooks and it is called “Administering SQL Server“. Check it out!
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with our latest articles on SQL Server and related technologies!
Check out our latest software releases! All our software tools have Community Editions which are free to download.
Rate this article:
Reference: SQLNetHub (https://www.sqlnethub.com)
© SQLNetHub
Artemakis Artemiou is a Senior SQL Server Architect, Author, a 9 Times Microsoft Data Platform MVP (2009-2018). He has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry in various roles. Artemakis is the founder of SQLNetHub and {essentialDevTips.com}. Artemakis is the creator of the well-known software tools Snippets Generator and DBA Security Advisor. Also, he is the author of many eBooks on SQL Server. Artemakis currently serves as the President of the Cyprus .NET User Group (CDNUG) and the International .NET Association Country Leader for Cyprus (INETA). Moreover, Artemakis teaches on Udemy, you can check his courses here.