diff --git a/pyTMD/utilities.py b/pyTMD/utilities.py
index 6c568611..589dfe67 100644
--- a/pyTMD/utilities.py
+++ b/pyTMD/utilities.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 u"""
 utilities.py
-Written by Tyler Sutterley (06/2023)
+Written by Tyler Sutterley (11/2023)
 Download and management utilities for syncing time and auxiliary files
 
 PYTHON DEPENDENCIES:
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
         https://pypi.python.org/pypi/lxml
 
 UPDATE HISTORY:
+    Updated 11/2023: updated ssl context to fix deprecation error
     Updated 06/2023: add functions to retrieve and revoke Earthdata tokens
     Updated 05/2023: add reify decorator for evaluation of properties
         make urs a keyword argument in CCDIS list and download functions
@@ -604,11 +605,41 @@ def from_ftp(
         remote_buffer.seek(0)
         return remote_buffer
 
+def _create_default_ssl_context() -> ssl.SSLContext:
+    """Creates the default SSL context
+    """
+    context = ssl.SSLContext(ssl.PROTOCOL_TLS_CLIENT)
+    _set_ssl_context_options(context)
+    context.options |= ssl.OP_NO_COMPRESSION
+    return context
+
+def _create_ssl_context_no_verify() -> ssl.SSLContext:
+    """Creates an SSL context for unverified connections
+    """
+    context = _create_default_ssl_context()
+    context.check_hostname = False
+    context.verify_mode = ssl.CERT_NONE
+    return context
+
+def _set_ssl_context_options(context: ssl.SSLContext) -> None:
+    """Sets the default options for the SSL context
+    """
+    if sys.version_info >= (3, 10) or ssl.OPENSSL_VERSION_INFO >= (1, 1, 0, 7):
+        context.minimum_version = ssl.TLSVersion.TLSv1_2
+    else:
+        context.options |= ssl.OP_NO_SSLv2
+        context.options |= ssl.OP_NO_SSLv3
+        context.options |= ssl.OP_NO_TLSv1
+        context.options |= ssl.OP_NO_TLSv1_1
+
 # default ssl context
-_default_ssl_context = ssl.SSLContext(ssl.PROTOCOL_TLS)
+_default_ssl_context = _create_ssl_context_no_verify()
 
 # PURPOSE: check internet connection
-def check_connection(HOST: str, context=_default_ssl_context):
+def check_connection(
+        HOST: str,
+        context: ssl.SSLContext = _default_ssl_context,
+    ):
     """
     Check internet connection with http host
 
@@ -635,7 +666,7 @@ def check_connection(HOST: str, context=_default_ssl_context):
 def http_list(
         HOST: str | list,
         timeout: int | None = None,
-        context = _default_ssl_context,
+        context: ssl.SSLContext = _default_ssl_context,
         parser = lxml.etree.HTMLParser(),
         format: str = '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M',
         pattern: str = '',
@@ -709,7 +740,7 @@ def http_list(
 def from_http(
         HOST: str | list,
         timeout: int | None = None,
-        context = _default_ssl_context,
+        context: ssl.SSLContext = _default_ssl_context,
         local: str | pathlib.Path | None = None,
         hash: str = '',
         chunk: int = 16384,
@@ -1319,7 +1350,7 @@ def from_cddis(
 def iers_list(
         HOST: str | list,
         timeout: int | None = None,
-        context = _default_ssl_context,
+        context: ssl.SSLContext = _default_ssl_context,
         parser = lxml.etree.HTMLParser()
     ):
     """
@@ -1372,7 +1403,7 @@ def iers_list(
 def from_jpl_ssd(
         kernel='de440s.bsp',
         timeout: int | None = None,
-        context = _default_ssl_context,
+        context: ssl.SSLContext = _default_ssl_context,
         local: str | pathlib.Path | None = None,
         hash: str = '',
         chunk: int = 16384,