Question about IMAP protocols

Question

Hello. Why does the documentation advise to use port 993 SSL when today, 143 TLS is considered more secure and more modern implementation ?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/clients/pop3-and-imap4/configure-imap4?view=exchserver-2019

Answer 1

Hi,

In my experience, 993 has wider compatibility and usually requires less initial configuration when using SSL on port 993 than when initiating a connection on port 143 and then upgrading to TLS, but it is true that TLS is considered to be more modern and secure, and if your system and clients support it, you can certainly configure IMAP4 to use TLS.

To summarize: 993 may have better compatibility, while 143 has better security.

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