diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-backend.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-backend.yml
index a20a0acb..8669e353 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-backend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-backend.yml
@@ -16,11 +16,10 @@ jobs:
         with:
           creds: ${{ secrets.AZURE_CREDENTIALS }}
 
-      - name: Setup .NET 10
+      - name: Setup .NET 8
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
         with:
-          dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
-          dotnet-quality: 'ga'
+          dotnet-version: '8.0.x'
 
       - name: Restore dependencies
         run: dotnet restore src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj
diff --git a/global.json b/global.json
deleted file mode 100644
index d46d21e5..00000000
--- a/global.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "sdk": {
-    "version": "10.0.100",
-    "rollForward": "latestFeature",
-    "allowPrerelease": false
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests.csproj b/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests.csproj
index 211c0061..71d5f2a6 100644
--- a/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests.csproj
+++ b/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests.csproj
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
diff --git a/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj b/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj
index ce4bd789..3706ba9f 100644
--- a/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj
+++ b/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
+    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
     <AzureFunctionsVersion>V4</AzureFunctionsVersion>
     <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
     <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
@@ -28,25 +28,23 @@
 
   <ItemGroup>
     <FrameworkReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.App" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Identity" Version="1.21.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Identity" Version="1.19.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.WorkerService" Version="2.23.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker" Version="2.51.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.ApplicationInsights" Version="2.50.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Extensions.Http.AspNetCore" Version="2.1.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Extensions.SignalRService" Version="2.0.1" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.SignalR.Management" Version="1.33.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.SignalR.Management" Version="1.29.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Extensions.Timer" Version="4.3.1" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Extensions.Storage.Queues" Version="5.5.4" />
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Azure.Functions.Worker.Sdk" Version="2.0.7" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Data.Tables" Version="12.11.0" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Storage.Blobs" Version="12.27.0" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Storage.Queues" Version="12.25.0" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.4" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Identity.Web" Version="4.8.0" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.JwtBearer" Version="10.0.7" />
-    <!-- Pin to override transitive 10.0.0 brought in by Microsoft.Identity.Web; 10.0.0 has GHSA-9mv3-2cwr-p262 (critical). -->
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection" Version="10.0.7" />
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Http.Polly" Version="10.0.7" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Data.Tables" Version="12.9.1" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Storage.Blobs" Version="12.22.2" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Azure.Storage.Queues" Version="12.23.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Newtonsoft.Json" Version="13.0.3" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Identity.Web" Version="4.3.0" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.JwtBearer" Version="8.0.11" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Http.Polly" Version="8.0.25" />
     <PackageReference Include="Resend" Version="0.2.1" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
diff --git a/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/Security/CertificateValidator.cs b/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/Security/CertificateValidator.cs
index e69f3ceb..ebab0cac 100644
--- a/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/Security/CertificateValidator.cs
+++ b/src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/Security/CertificateValidator.cs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Security
 
                 // Parse certificate from Base64
                 var certBytes = Convert.FromBase64String(certificateBase64);
-                var certificate = X509CertificateLoader.LoadCertificate(certBytes);
+                var certificate = new X509Certificate2(certBytes);
                 var thumbprint = certificate.Thumbprint;
 
                 logger?.LogDebug($"Validating certificate: Subject={certificate.Subject}, Issuer={certificate.Issuer}, Thumbprint={thumbprint}");