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Is IMAPS (IMAP over SSL) SSL or TLS?

I know TLS is the successor of SSL. But everywhere I look, I always find IMAPS = IMAP over SSL with always the specific mention of SSL and never TLS, which makes me wonder if IMAPS just stuck with the latest SSL version (SSLv3 if I am correct) or if that too is TLS (probably TLSv1.2 of TLSv1.3).

Here for example, they say IMAP over SSL and IMAP over TLS is different.

But here they say there is no difference, but IMAP over TLS uses STARTTLS and not TLS itself.

Stuggi
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DYD35
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1 Answers1

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The distinction between SSL and TLS is obsolete (or rather: SSL is obsolete, there's only TLS left). There is a distinction between explicit TLS (STARTTLS) and implicit TLS (usually with a dedicated port) though. Implicit TLS is controlled by the socket options, explicit TLS is triggered within the application protocol. Most implicit TLS protocol variants are deprecated.

IMAPS is IMAP over implicit TLS (port 993). It can use any TLS version. IMAP with explicit TLS uses the standard port 143.

Zac67
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