Default SecurityProtocol in .NET 4.5

Question

What is the default security protocol for communicating with servers that support up to TLS 1.2? Will .NET by default, choose the highest security

Answer 1

Microsoft recently published best practices around this. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/network-programming/tls

Summary

Target .Net Framework 4.7, remove any code setting the SecurityProtocol, thus the OS will ensure you use the most secure solution.

NB: You will also need to ensure that the latest version of TLS is supported & enabled on your OS.

OS                          TLS 1.2 support

Windows 10                  \_ Supported, and enabled by default.
Windows Server 2016         /   
Windows 8.1                 \_ Supported, and enabled by default.
Windows Server 2012 R2      /
Windows 8.0                 \_ Supported, and enabled by default.
Windows Server 2012         /
Windows 7 SP1               \_ Supported, but not enabled by default*.
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1  /
Windows Server 2008         -  Support for TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.1 requires an update. See Update to add support for TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 in Windows Server 2008 SP2.
Windows Vista               -  Not supported.

* To enable TLS1.2 via the registry see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/security/tls/tls-registry-settings#tls-12 

    Path: HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS1.2\Server

        Property: Enabled
        Type: REG_DWORD
        Value: 1

        Property: DisabledByDefault 
        Type: REG_DWORD
        Value: 0

    Path: HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS1.2\Client

        Property: Enabled
        Type: REG_DWORD
        Value: 1

        Property: DisabledByDefault 
        Type: REG_DWORD
        Value: 0

For more information and older frameworks, please refer to the MS link.