What is a strong SSL/TLS cipher suite for Nginx?
Jun 19, 2025 am 12:03 AMA strong SSL/TLS cipher suite for Nginx balances security, compatibility, and performance by prioritizing modern encryption algorithms and forward secrecy while avoiding deprecated protocols. 1. Use TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3, disabling older insecure versions like SSLv3 and TLS 1.0/1.1 via ssl_protocols. 2. Prioritize ECDHE key exchange methods for forward secrecy, using cipher suites such as ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 and enabling them with ssl_ciphers. 3. Enable ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on to ensure the server selects the strongest available cipher. 4. Optionally implement OCSP stapling and HSTS headers to further enhance TLS security without directly affecting cipher selection.
A strong SSL/TLS cipher suite for Nginx is one that balances security, compatibility, and performance. It should prioritize modern encryption algorithms, forward secrecy, and avoid deprecated or vulnerable protocols.
Use Modern TLS Versions
Nginx should be configured to use TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3, as they are currently the most secure and widely supported versions. Older versions like SSLv3 and TLS 1.0/1.1 are considered insecure and should be disabled.
Example:
ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
This ensures only modern clients can connect while keeping the connection safe from known downgrade attacks.
Prioritize Forward Secrecy
Forward secrecy (also known as Perfect Forward Secrecy or PFS) ensures that even if a server's private key is compromised in the future, past communications remain secure.
To enable this, your cipher suite should prioritize ECDHE (Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral) key exchange methods. A good starting point is:
ssl_ciphers HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5:!SHA1:!CAMELLIA:!3DES;
Or more specifically, using Mozilla’s recommended configuration for modern compatibility and security:
ssl_ciphers ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384;
You can also simplify it by using ssl_cipherSuite
directives with predefined sets, especially when TLS 1.3 is involved, since it handles much of the cipher negotiation internally.
Order Matters: Prefer Server Ciphers
By default, some clients may try to negotiate weaker ciphers. To prevent that, you should make sure Nginx chooses the cipher suite instead of the client:
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
This setting gives you control over which cipher is used during the handshake, ensuring stronger ones are picked first.
Optional but Recommended: OCSP Stapling & HSTS
These aren’t directly related to cipher suites, but they enhance overall TLS security:
OCSP Stapling: Reduces client overhead and improves TLS handshake performance.
- Enable it with:
ssl_stapling on; ssl_stapling_verify on; resolver 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 valid=30s; resolver_timeout 5s;
- Enable it with:
HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS): Forces browsers to always use HTTPS.
- Add this header:
add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains" always;
They’re not part of the cipher suite itself, but they're often overlooked and improve overall TLS posture.
That's basically it. With these settings, your Nginx server will support strong, modern encryption without sacrificing too much compatibility.
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