Microsoft is moving to disable the NT LAN Manager (NTLM) protocol by default in Windows 11 and Windows Server. This step is part of a broader effort to enhance security, as NTLM, introduced in the 1990s, has become outdated since Kerberos took over as the standard protocol in Windows 2000. Over the years, NTLM's use has diminished, but many legacy enterprise systems still rely on it, creating vulnerabilities, especially to NTLM relay attacks. Hackers have taken advantage of NTLM weaknesses to infiltrate networks, leading Microsoft to classify the protocol as deprecated. While administrators have known about NTLM's phase-out for some time, many still face challenges in completely removing it from their systems. Microsoft has released a timetable for the protocol's deactivation, which is available on the Windows IT Pro Blog. This timeline will help organizations prepare for the transition away from NTLM and improve their overall network security.