One of the common Google Chrome errors is “Your connection is not secure” or “ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID”. This error occurs when connecting to another Wi-Fi network or opening a website. It indicates that Internet fraudsters may try to steal personal data for the purpose of enrichment. However, is this true?
Ways to fix the unsecured connection error
If, when opening a website in the Google Chrome browser, an error appears about an unsecured connection, it is worth checking to see if the same message does not appear in incognito mode. To do this we do the following:
- Open the browser and press the combination “Ctrl+Shift+N” or click “Settings”, then “New window in incognito mode”.
- If the site opens, then the problem lies in the extension. Open the settings, select “Extensions” and disable all extensions one by one to determine which one is blocking access to the site.
- You can also reset your browser settings.
It is also worth noting that previously this error appeared on those PCs that had the date and time set incorrectly. Therefore, it is worth checking these settings on your device.
If the date and time are set correctly and everything works in incognito mode, you need to check your antivirus settings. SSL scanning or HTTPS protocol protection may be set. We disable this function and check the browser for functionality.
You can also solve the problem in the following way:
- Click “Network and Sharing Center” and select “Change advanced sharing settings” in the left menu.
- You need to disable all detected networks and sharing for the profile you are using.
- In the “All networks” section, set the setting to 128-bit encryption and enable password-protected sharing.
After making all the changes, it is worth checking the functionality of the browser.
It is also worth checking the network properties. To do this we do the following:
- Click “Start”, “Control Panel”, “Internet Options”, “Manage Browser Settings”.
- A new window will open. Go to the “Connections” tab and click “Network Settings”.
- In the new window you need to uncheck all the checkboxes.
- After making changes, it is advisable to restart your PC.
If these methods did not help solve the problem, you should run clearing the cache via the command line “ipconfig /flushdns”.
The most recent way to solve the problem is to completely remove and reinstall the browser.
There is a situation when, when trying to access a desired resource, for example, from a search engine, the Google Chrome browser displays a notification like “Your connection is not secure. Attackers may be trying to steal your data from the website." This error has many sources and, accordingly, many solutions.
Why is the connection not secure?
The fact is that the resource you wanted to access uses the secure HTTPS protocol - an add-on over HTTP. HTTPS encrypts data sent to the server so that it cannot be stolen. For HTTPS to work, certain conditions are required, failure to comply with which will result in errors. The range of possible reasons for the appearance of notifications is very wide: from an incorrectly set date required for HTTPS to work correctly to an antivirus blocking the connection.
You can see if HTTPS is used by clicking on the icon to the left of the site address. If there is a lock icon and the word “Protected” there, then the resource transmits traffic via the HTTPS protocol, for example, one of the most popular social networks is VKontakte.
Reason 1: wrong date
The error code in this case is NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID.
If the date on your computer is incorrect, you need to correct it.
Let's see how it's done.
- Click on the date in the notification area (bottom right) and click "Changing time and date settings"
- Select "Change date and time".
- Set the current date and press "OK".
If after each reboot the date in your system changes, then it is quite possible that the battery in the motherboard has failed!
Reason 2: unverified certificate
In this case, the error code is NET::ERR_CERT_WEAK_SIGNATURE_ALGORITHM.
Not all sites that use HTTPS are certified by trusted publishers or use modern encryption algorithms. Some people use free versions of certificates, which are often recognized by Chrome as “unwanted”. To go to an “unsafe” site (at your own peril and risk), you must click on "Additional".
Be careful when visiting such sites, the content there may be unsafe!
Reason 3: blocked by antivirus
If you have an antivirus installed, it may block a site with potentially dangerous content. This is how it works in NOD32.
In order to temporarily bypass the blocking, you need to disable your antivirus. This is done as follows: right-click on the antivirus icon and select "Temporarily disable protection", then click "Yes", specify the shutdown period and click "OK".
Reason 4: Blocking extensions
If you have extensions installed, then some of them may block access to the site, for example “Kaspersky Protection”. In order to find out who is blocking access, you need to disable extensions one by one using trial and error and thereby determine the “culprit”.
Click on the ellipsis in the upper right corner of the browser, hover your mouse over "Additional Tools" and select "Extensions".
After that, try disabling extensions (by clicking on the checkbox next to "Enabled") one at a time and update the blocked page.
Reason 5: Missing Updates
Check the service pack (SP) version of your system. To do this, right-click on "My computer" select from the dropdown menu "Properties" and see what SP you have installed. HTTPS requires the latest service pack for XP and Server 2003 systems.
If you have Windows XP installed, you must have SP3.
Download SP3 for Windows XP
If you have Windows Server 2003 installed, you must have SP2.
Download SP3 for Windows Server 2003
Reason 6: Browser not working properly
If none of the above solutions helped you, then as a radical method, you can uninstall and reinstall the browser. To do this, you need:
- Click "Start", choose "Control Panel".
- Click on "Uninstall a program".
- Find the line with the browser from Google and double-click "Delete".
- Now all that remains is to download and install the browser again.
Download Google Chrome browser
Conclusion
In this article, we analyzed many sources of the notification “Your connection is not secure, attackers may be trying to steal your data from the website.” The solutions described in our article will help you deal with this error in most cases. However, if none of the solutions helped, create a new thread describing your error on official website of Google products.
Browsers are improving and becoming more advanced, but this affects security only to a small extent. Mainly the exchange of information occurs from the client to the server and vice versa. It is not always possible to protect data using built-in means; as a result, there is a risk that sent packets will be received by an unauthorized person.
Due to the insufficient level of connection security, SSL technology has been developed, which fills this need. Thus, the server and client create a specific key that is needed to understand all requests. Without this key, the intercepted data is worthless, and this was precisely the key goal of the technology.
When SSL does not work correctly for some reason, you can see the error Your connection is not protected by Firefox. The browser, determining the level of protection of the site, checks the reliability of the basic parameters. If any step is performed incorrectly, an error appears.
More often than not, the server itself is to blame for your connection not being protected by Mozilla. There are a number of situations in which action can be taken on the client side.
Error Definition
Before moving directly to solving the problem, you need to identify it. You can follow the methods presented in the instructions without hesitation and expect a positive result, but it is better to look at the error code.
Having learned the failure code, it becomes obvious why your connection is not secure, how to fix it and whether it is possible to influence the processing of the certificate. This information is available directly on the error page; you need to click on the “Advanced” button. The auxiliary parameters of the failure will be indicated, namely the reason for the connection loss and the error code of the function that found the problem.
Working with dates
There are several options for problems that are associated with incorrect time display on the computer. In this case, the time zone is processed correctly, that is, the difference in time between the user and the client by time zone is not important, but only their reference value.
Therefore, if the time is set incorrectly and instead of setting GMT +3.00, GMT +2.00 is set and the time is manually adjusted by an additional hour, then the error will not be long in coming. This approach is fundamentally incorrect and it is necessary to set the correct parameters.
When faced with a malfunction, “the certificate has expired” or “will not be valid until”, you need to pay attention to the correctness of the specified time.
So, your connection is not protected by Firefox, how to fix it:
- Click on the time in the lower right corner;
- Select the link “Change date and time settings”;
- In the “Time Zone” section, click on the “Change...” button;
- Select the correct zone, preferably find your country among those listed, otherwise at least others, but with the same GMT longitude;
- Click on “Change date and time”;
- Set the correct values based on a reliable source, preferably from the network.
An alternative option, which will be a little easier to use, is to automatically update via the Internet. This method is available in the “Internet Time” tab. Next, click “Change settings...”. Then check the “Synchronize with server...” checkbox. By default there is a server, but you can install a different one.
Disabling antivirus
Sometimes a user encounters a problem due to the presence of an antivirus with active protection on the system. This is usually indicated by an error stating that the certificate chain is unknown. The problem that it says your connection is not secure is the presence of a built-in web inspector. It performs additional manipulations with SSL, which fail. It is logical that you can get out of the situation simply by disabling such a function.
If Avast is installed on the system, you need to configure:
- Go to the main antivirus menu and click on “Settings”;
- Next, go to the “Active Protection” tab;
- Follow the “Web shield” section;
- Remove the checkbox from the “Enable HTTPS scanning” option.
For Kaspersky, the steps are slightly different:
- Go to “Settings” and expand the full list;
- Now find "Network";
- In the “Scanning secure connections” column, you must remove the corresponding flag.
Creating a new certificate file
When none of the procedures help, you can resort to another method. It consists of deleting the certificate file and then creating it. It is likely that the cause of lags when Mozilla your connection is not secure is failures in this file. All you have to do is delete the element; creation will happen automatically.
So, your connection is not secure, what to do:
- Go to the menu and click on the question mark corresponding to the “Help” section;
- Next, follow the “Information for solving problems”;
- Follow the "Application Details" tab;
- Go to the folder with the certificate;
- Close your browser completely;
- Delete the cert8.db file.
After automatically creating the element, the problem should disappear, since the bugs from the file have been removed.
Alternative method
In any case, if you do not want to troubleshoot the problem, you can always go to the site and simply ignore the message. In a situation where the certificate is self-signed, this is even recommended.
In order to go to the site despite the warning, you must click on “Advanced” and add the resource to the exception. The action should be carried out only if you completely trust the site, otherwise it is easier to switch to another resource with similar content.
Error message
In the end, if no methods allowed you to achieve the desired result, you must relieve yourself of responsibility, because the problem is not in the user’s system. If possible, inform the resource owner about the presence of a specific problem; it is better to indicate the error code and message. Wait until the site is completely repaired and the problem will disappear.
You can also report the problem to the technical department of the browser itself, they will probably be able to provide all possible assistance in solving it. The required notification column is located under the message, just highlight it.
If you still have questions on the topic “What to do if the error “Your connection is not secure” occurs in Mozilla Firefox?”, you can ask them in the comments
When you go to a resource, the browser may display a warning “Your connection is not secure.” This means that the site does not have genuine certificates and attackers can steal your personal data. Resources receive security certificates after Yandex and Google robots check the site for dangerous vulnerabilities.
Possible reasons for the message
In some cases, the appearance of a message may not be related to the security of the site.
Here are the possible reasons:
- incorrect date on the computer;
- an outdated certificate or an unverified certificate issuer - the browser checks the authenticity and, if there is the slightest suspicion, begins to curse and block the connection;
- blocking extensions, especially antivirus extensions that are installed automatically in the browser;
- old version of Windows - this problem may occur if you have disabled automatic system updates;
- viruses on your computer;
- The browser itself is malfunctioning.
When to ignore a warning
If you trust the site and are absolutely sure that it will not steal your personal data, then you can ignore it and continue working. There are many reasons why a site might not pass verification, including that the problem lies with your computer. To do this, click on the “Advanced” button (in some browsers a link to the site is immediately available) and work as before.
Also, all secure connections are transmitted via the “https” protocol (this is where the site address begins), if you remove the letter “s” and leave just “http”, then the site will open in normal mode and the error about an unsecured connection will not appear.
If you do use an unsecured connection, be careful when working on such sites: do not leave personal data, especially payment card data, and do not use logins and passwords that you use to work on other sites.
Incorrect system date
If the date on your computer is incorrect, then this is a possible reason for the message about an insecure connection. The solution is simple - set the correct time:
If your time is constantly lost, then most likely the battery on the motherboard is dead. Contact a service center for replacement.
Incognito mode
Incognito mode (or “invisibility” mode) cannot be considered a complete solution to the problem; rather, it is a temporary measure. In this mode, the browser does not save or record any data (cookies, cache, history, etc.). Therefore, the browser may open pages that it would not normally go to.
To enable Incognito you need:
- in Mozilla Firefox: open the menu and click “Private window”;
- in Yandex browser: menu – “Incognito mode”;
- in Google Chrome: menu – “New window in incognito mode”;
- in Opera: menu – “Create a private window”;
- in Internet Explorer: Settings - “Security” - “InPrivate Browsing”;
- in Microsoft Edge: Settings - “New InPrivate Window”.
If the error in incognito mode disappears, then most likely some plugin installed in the browser is causing interference.
Extension errors
When you install antivirus software on your computer, many defenders automatically install their Internet security extensions. Sometimes they can fail and mistakenly consider verified sites to be dangerous. In this case, you need to disable these extensions.
Mozilla Firefox
To disable in Mozilla Firefox:
Opera
To disable it in Opera:
Yandex browser
To disable in Yandex browser:
Google Chrome
To disable in Google Chrome:
Internet Explorer
To disable in Internet Explorer:
Microsoft Edge
To disable in Microsoft Edge:
In addition to the antivirus, other add-ons can block sites. Try disabling all extensions. If sites begin to open normally, then start enabling extensions one at a time and check how the browser will work. Thus, you can find an add-on that blocks resources. After that, disable it or delete it and reinstall it.
Old version of the system
If you have not updated your operating system for a long time and have disabled automatic updates, then this may be why the message about an unsecured connection appears.
To update the system you need:
If you are using Windows xp, then you will have to manually install Service Pack 3.
Due to the lack of necessary updates, malfunctions may occur not only in the browser, so it is recommended not to disable it.
Problems with the browser itself
The problem may also be hidden in the browser itself. First of all, problems arise if the necessary updates are not installed, and this can only happen if automatic updates are disabled.
Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome update:
To update Yandex browser:
To update Opera, you need to go to the official website, download a new version of the browser and install it, but you don’t have to delete the old version. All data (bookmarks, passwords, etc.) will remain unchanged.
Disabling automatic updates for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer is quite problematic, but if they still don’t work, then to get the new version you need to:
The Microsoft Edge browser is only available for Windows 10; it is not available for other versions of the system.
Also try clearing your browser cache and history. If you haven’t done this for a long time, then in most cases errors appear in the work.
If updating your browser does not help fix the problem, then you can use the last resort method and reinstall it completely. First, uninstall the program (Control Panel - Add and Remove Programs), then download the browser again and install it.
After removal, it is advisable to clean up residual browser files using Ccleaner or a similar program.
What else can you do
If you receive the error “Your connection is not secure,” be sure to check your system with an antivirus. Use only a licensed defender with up-to-date databases and do not disable automatic updates - the security of your computer depends on it. Viruses can damage the entire system, and not just interfere with the Internet.
But it may also be the other way around, that the antivirus is blocking some resource for no apparent reason. If you are sure that the site is safe, disable the protection for a while and try to go to it.
An error may occur when navigating to a site through bookmarks. Try to find the resource in a search engine and open it through it. If everything is displayed normally, then delete the bookmark and create a new one.
In many cases, a security problem is due to problems with your computer. Incorrect settings, viruses and lack of updates are the most common reasons. Keep track of these settings, and problems with opening sites will appear very rarely.
Recently, more and more often in the Google Chrome browser, which I use as my main one, an error appears when it is impossible to open a website, for example Avito, and a message appears with the following content: “Your connection is not secure.” It is also accompanied by a threatening comment that “Attackers may try to steal your data from the site (for example, passwords, messages or bank card numbers).”
An inexperienced computer user may have a heart ache at the thought that it could be hacked, a virus has settled on the computer, or it’s time to take it to the landfill. Of course, I’m exaggerating, but in reality, the problem exists and causes trouble when visiting the Internet every day.
Instead of readable text, an error code may also be displayed: “ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID”, “ERR_CERT_WEAK_SIGNATURE_ALGORITM” or “ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID”.
The fact is that sites that require some kind of authorization in your personal account, for example, social networks or online stores, are gradually moving to working using the secure SSL protocol - their distinguishing feature is that the address begins with https. If the web resource uses good old http, then the warning “Your connection is not secure” does not appear.
The reason for the opening problem lies in an error when checking the encryption certificate that protects such resources - since they usually require you to enter some personal data, the browser considers itself smarter than you and tries to protect against possible interception of your confidential data.
However, this message appears only in browsers based on the Chromium core, such as Google Chrome, Yandex.Browser, Opera, Sputnik, Amigo and others.
What to do and how to still get to the right page?
To be honest, this is exactly what I do, but I can’t advise you on this, because what if the program is not mistaken and the site is really dangerous..? In addition, often this link does not exist at all.
Problem with the website or free WiFi
In fact, the reason may simply be hidden in problems in the operation of the site itself. If this is the case, then the only thing left to do is close the page and return to it later when everything is fixed.
Separately, I would like to mention the occurrence of an unsecure connection error when trying to access the Internet via free wifi in the metro and in general in public free access points - in particular, this is where I mostly encounter it. To bypass the blocking, simply enter into the address bar a site that definitely does not use the https protocol - for example, the address of our blog site. After this, you are guaranteed to be redirected to the online login page and you will be able to use the Internet.
But the problem could also be in the browser or system settings, and since we cannot know for sure whether the site or the computer is to blame, we will try to take several steps that can help cope with the problem.
Your connection is not secure in Chrome
First of all, you need to determine whether the site does not work on only one browser, or on all. Surely you have built-in Internet Explorer or its newer brother Microsoft Edge, built into Windows by default. Open the site in it - if it works, then just clear the cache and cookies in the browser in which the page does not open.
To do this in Google Chrome, go to the settings menu, “History” section.
In the window that appears, put a tick on
- Cookies and other site data
- Images and other files saved in cache
And in the drop-down list, select the period “All time”, and then click on the “Delete data” button
To be sure, you can also disable extensions (additional browser plugins) - they can also interfere with normal functioning. To do this, also go to the menu under the heading “Additional tools - Extensions”
And uncheck all installed extensions
If you have a different browser, then clearing cookies and cache is similar to the described algorithm. In addition, you can use one of the many system junk cleaning programs to do this, such as CCleaner, Wise Registry Cleaner or any other.
If all this does not help, as a last resort, try uninstalling the entire browser and reinstalling it.
Pages do not open on all browsers
If the message “Your connection is not secure” appears on absolutely any browser, then the reasons, as you understand, lie in the system itself and there may be several of them - let’s look at the main ones.
