Certificate Errors And How To Fix

SafeBytes Software

Computers have become a part of our lives in these last few decades. Especially since the start of the 2000’s.

This universal use of computers these days is owed to the fact that, as time has gone by PCs have become not only cheaper, but more versatile as well.

Gone are the days when a massive room-occupying computer was good only for solving equations in less time than it would take a human being to do so. Today’s computers offer us:

· Productivity. In the form of productivity suites such as Microsoft’s Office, or OpenOffice, the free alternative.· Communication. Skype and Facebook, for example. All of these apps allow us to communicate with anyone we wish to, no matter the distance.· Entertainment. In the form of music streaming, video on demand and video games. Netflix, Spotify, Youtube, Steam, GOG. If you want entertainment, the PC’s got you covered.· Organization. Be it keeping your finances in check, organizing a library of movies, books or CDs, cataloguing something or scheduling a meeting, there are numerous apps to help you do it without breaking a sweat.

And these are just four things that computers allow us to do, but there are quite a few more, some even very niche, all of them too many to list.

As well as this, since computers are now faster, cheaper and more reliable than they have ever been before it is more common to find that many households no longer have a single machine shared between the members of the family; each member of the household has their own personal computer instead.

There is one downside to this, however: much more people have their own PC, but computer literacy numbers are not going up along with the number of owners.

This means that if there’s an error or problem with the machine, the most likely thing is that the machine’s owner will not be able to fix the error.

Quite frankly, it is entirely possible that the user won’t really even know what the error message telling them what is wrong means (keeping in mind of course that some of these error messages might consist of beeps).

Well, in this case we’re going to go over a common problem that fortunately has nothing to do with hardware: certificate errors.

In this case, we mean SSL certificate errors, which are errors you can run into when browsing the web. First of all, let’s take a moment to define what an SSL certificate actually is:

· sometimes called digital certificates, are used to establish a secure encrypted connection between a browser (which is in the user's computer) and a server (the website that the user is accessing). The SSL connection protects sensitive data, such as credit card information, exchanged during each visit.

As you can see, an SSL certificate is very important, since it allows for a secure connection to be established between the user’s machine and the website’s server.Now, there is one thing that we must make absolutely clear:

· In some cases, these errors might actually be just that: errors. Due to a bad connection, or an error in configuration on the user or the server side. However, sometimes these errors actually get shown to you because there is something off about the certificate itself.

In every single case, think long and hard about whether to try to bypass the SSL certificate error.

Let’s take a look at possible sources of errors:

· This website's security certificate has been revoked

You shouldn't trust this website. This often means that the security certificate was obtained or used fraudulently by the website.

· This website's address doesn't match the address in the security certificate

A website is using a certificate that was issued to a different web address. This can occur if a company owns several websites and uses the same certificate for multiple websites.

· This website's security certificate is out of date

The current date is either before or after the time period during which the certificate is valid. Websites must renew their certificates with a certification authority to stay current. Outdated certificates can be a security risk.

· This website's security certificate isn't from a trusted source

The certificate has been issued by a certification authority that isn't recognized by Internet Explorer. Phishing sites often use fake certificates that trigger this error.

· Internet Explorer has found a problem with this website's security certificate

Internet Explorer found a problem with a certificate that doesn't match any other errors. It could be because a certificate has been damaged, tampered with, written in an unknown format, or is unreadable. You shouldn't trust the identity of the site if a certificate has this error.

Finally, consider downloading Safebytes’ Total System Care. This handy program will boost the performance of any PC, no matter how old or beat up it is. Total System Care will:

· Boost PC speed. Total System Care scans specifically for errors and invalid keys known to cause lag and lengthen the time it takes for programs and the PC to start up. Your computer will run faster than the day you bought it!· Fix and prevent errors. Total System Care scans specifically for errors and invalid keys known to cause lag and lengthen the time it takes for programs and the PC to start up. Your computer will run faster than the day you bought it!· Protect your privacy. Identify potentially dangerous tracking cookies, adware and even security weaknesses that malware and hackers can use to steal your personal data or damage your computer.· Use advanced registry detection. 15 advanced scanners each targeting unique elements of performance, stability and security ensure you the highest quality of results and optimization.Additionally, Total System Care is made with the user in mind:· An easy to use intuitive interface allows anyone to optimize their PC’s performance without needing to be a technical whiz. The easiest registry cleaner you’ll ever use.· Our 24/7 support team is happy to help and available by email, live chat and phone. We’ll walk you through the product and provide any assistance you should need.