In this article you will learn about “your connection is not private” error message in chrome. It means your browser cannot verify that website you are visiting is safe or not and Attackers might be trying to steal information. Read more below about the reasons for “your connection is not private” warning in browser, how to bypass & fix connection not private error – Stay Safe Online
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Frequently Asked Questions
One of Google’s online safety precautions is a system that protects you from unsafe sites. Whenever you come across such sites, the system jumps into your defense.
Although it logs as an error, the “your connection is not private” alert serves as a warning. When the system thinks that you are about to make a mistake and open a suspicious site, it puts a hold on the connection until you erase it.
Most of the time, it’s a defense to have. However, there are times when the system will intercept trusted sources. When this happens, it helps to figure out how to fix it yourself.
A good thing about Chrome, it has powerful security features aimed at keeping user privacy and security a top priority. If Chrome finds something suspicious on the site, it will block it and also indicate the cause of the problem. One of these general Chrome issues is “Your connection is not private”. Today we are going to discuss all the possible solutions to fix the issue on Chrome and Android.
If Google detects a security breach in user privacy, it will prevent users from accessing online content. One such warning that you might have come across while browsing Chrome is an HTTPS / SSL error with the message “Your connection is not private”.
The warning will be accompanied by a red padlock indicating that the connection is not secure.
Now we’re going to break down what exactly this means. Before connecting to a site, the browser must run a security check to verify digital certificates (SSL certificates) for the site. This ensures that the site’s privacy standards are up to date, and therefore, you are safe online.
If you don’t have antivirus or encryption installed, then your device is a gold mine for hackers. So, if your browser encounters an oddity in the certificates, it will block access to the site. And so the warning “Your connection is not private” will appear.
Certificates are also referred to as identity certificates or, in some cases, public key infrastructure. These authenticate the identity of the site and ensure that all transactions remain confidential.
Identify certificates that store your personal password data as well as banking and payment data.
most common error variations you may face:
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Upon receiving the error notification, you will be taken to another page. Variants like warning signs (locked padlocks), codes and simple notifications are used by different browsers to alert users.
There are variations based on several factors. These include the type of web browser, the operating system, and even the configuration of the certificate on the servers. And while some of these errors sometimes mean slightly different things, a lot of times the troubleshooting steps are the same.
Here are some of the most common “your connection is not private” error codes below.
In Google Chrome, after receiving the error notification, you will be taken to a privacy error page. After that, it will show a big red exclamation mark with the message “Your connection is not private. “
You will be warned that attackers may attempt to hack and copy your domain.com passwords, texts, or information cards. The notice will then give you the option to return to the previous page, switch to advanced settings, or ignore and continue with the website connection.
Below are just a couple of the most common error codes you might see in Google Chrome:
The website is running on a Symantec-issued certificate, which is not supported
The website’s SSL certificate might be incompatible with your device or its security settings and softwares
The website’s SSL certificate cannot be verified
The domain name of the SSL certificate doesn’t match the domain name in the address bar
Your computer’s time is not syncing up with your browser
The website’s SSL certificate was issued using an outdated algorithm
The website’s SSL certificate has not been publicly logged
The website’s SSL certificate has an error
In firefox instead of “your connection is not private” you’ll see “your connection is not secure”. Mozilla Firefox’s message is almost the same except when they exchange “private”, with “Your connection is not secure” and it informs you that the owner has misconfigured their website. You will then have the option of returning or switching to advanced settings.
The website’s certificate is self-signed and therefore untrusted
The website’s certificate was issued by an untrusted authority
A man-in-the-middle attack has been detected.
The website’s certificate has expired
Your computer’s time is not be syncing up with your browser
The website and/or its certificate is configured incorrectly
The issuer of the website’s certificate is unknown and therefore untrusted
The website’s certificate is not valid for the domain name
In Microsoft Edge, you will also see the error like “Your connection is not private”.
Attackers can try to steal your information from domain.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards).
These are also accompanied by an error code message. Here are some of the most common error codes:
The website’s certificate is not installed correctly, expired, or malicious activity is occurring
The website’ security certificate is not secure
The domain name of the SSL certificate doesn’t match the domain name in your address bar
With Safari, the message you will get will simply read “This connection is not private”.
This website may masquerade as “domain.com” to capture your private or online payment information. You must return to the previous page.
The following reasons may be why your connection is not a private error on Chrome. There could be other reasons too, but in general the following errors will cause an HTTPS error on the browser.
Net :: Err_Cert_Authority_Invalid
The issued certificate is obsolete.
The browser is old.
The website certificate and browser connection are not secure.
Net :: Err_Cert_Common_Name_Invalid
The certificate does not match the name of the issuer
Google Chrome browser error
Address error due to certificate mismatch
Net :: Err_Cert Date_Invalid
The date on the computer is wrong.
Few reasons that a SSL connection error may occur are:
Google gives you the option to ignore its warning and manually log into the site. But if it did, what would happen?
A bad certificate means your information will not be protected against encryption. When login credentials or bank details are shared, it becomes a big deal.
Your data could be stolen if you do not care, and this can lead to attacks like phishing attacks, WordPress Ransomware like B0r0nt0k Ransomware,
With the understanding you have now, we will now discuss the nature of the problem and how you can fix it.
Sometimes the simplest trick is your best option.
Fixing general malfunctions like search engine timeouts, internet, and desktop errors can quickly help you resolve any issues.
Your next option is to try to log into the website in incognito mode. If there are any security concerns then browsing incognito will be great since you won’t have to save your search or cache recording.
Entrepreneur.com touches on this safer method.
However, if the site is still logging the error, you should consider clearing your cache.
To access the incognito mode of the Chrome browser, click on the three vertical dots at the top of your screen. Expand the drop-down menu and click on “New Incognito Window” or, alternatively, simultaneously press ctrl + shift + N.
Make sure the date and time settings are correct. Whenever they are mismatched with the browser, you will probably get an SSL connection error.
Move your cursor to the Apple menu found in the upper left corner of the screen.
Select System Preferences.
Then choose Date and time.
Check that the time and date are correct.
On the taskbar, right-click the icon for the date and time.
Select Adjust date / time.
Make sure the time and date are correct.
While browsing, your device stores cookies that accumulate information and occupy a large capacity on your hard drive. As your device tries to process this data, it slows down considerably.
So go to your settings and clear your search engine cache and cookies. Deleting all this data increases your connection speed.
Public wifi is not secure; therefore, it may trigger a security warning. Most free cafes or wifi at the airport have weak configurations and therefore do not run HTTPS.
Whenever you don’t trust the security of your WiFi connection, look for another network or use WiFi in your home – one that you know you can trust.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are your best chance to protect your information as you use public wifi.
VPNs help you hide your traffic and cover your identity as it exchanges encrypted information with a distant server.
If an antivirus is installed on your MacBook or Windows gadget, the reason behind you getting the error warning may be due to the firewall or antivirus that is replacing your network. To test for this problem, briefly disconnect the SSL scan tool.
If you still see a text “your connection is not private”, but you need to access the site independently, do so carefully.
Your server will display this message and warn you against pursuing for good reason.
Choosing to go ahead puts your data and payment data at risk of being intercepted and stolen. In all fairness, there are very few reasons for taking this risk.
Here are the best solutions to fix non private connection errors on Chrome browser for Windows and Android.
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On your Windows PC, click on the location with the time / date and correct the date to be correct.
Reload the page and you should see the warning disappear with the loaded page in the green padlock showing “The page is secure”.
Open the web page generating the error in incognito mode of the Chrome browser. If the page opens safely in private mode, a Chrome extension is causing the error.
To correct the error, disable the extension. Just go to; chrome: // extensions and uncheck all extensions.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates serve websites over trusted HTTPS connections. This is a security barrier used to allow secure connections and data protection.
SSL server connection errors occur when your browser cannot find a safe way to open the page you requested.
These errors can occur for several reasons:
An expired or missing certificate
Obsolete browser requiring an update .
The time and date settings of your antivirus are incorrect
Your server has a problem (you will have to wait for the correction to be made by the owner)
This fix should only be used if you really need it.
Step 1. Click the HTTPS lock icon and call details.
You can also go to More Tools> Developer Tools; click on the Security tab.
Step 2. Click “View Certificate”.
Step 3. Type “Details” in the certificate viewer and select the top certificate (must be from an address other than the one you were trying)
Step 4. Then hit “Export” and save the certificate file.
Step 5. Go to Chrome Settings → Advanced → Manage Certificates.
Step 6. Hit “Import” . Select the certificate file you saved above and press Enter granting all options.
Restart Chrome, chrome: // restart (it reopens all your tabs).
This will solve the problem of NET Err Cert Authority Invalid & NET Err Cert Common Name Invalid.
First, check the website’s SSL certificate issuers. Do a Google search and download the SSL Issuer Root CA Certificate to your PC.
Then go to Chrome Settings → Advanced → Manage Certificates
Here, click on the Intermediate Authorities and import the downloaded root certificate . This will for sure fix the warning error on Chrome.
This will correct the NET :: ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID & NET :: ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID warning.
SHA-1 is a cryptographic hash algorithm once commonly used by SSL certificates on the web. If a website is still using a certificate with this old algorithm the “your connection is not private” error will appear.
Most certificates now use SHA-256 hash algorithms. This can be found under the “Details” tab when inspecting a certificate on a website.
Step 1. Look for ‘ ncpa.cpl ‘ in Windows.
Step 2. Find the option called Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IPv4) .
Step 3. Click on it and click on the Properties button.
Step 4. Now manually use the following DNS servers; Preferred DNS server like 8.8.8.8 & Alternate DNS server like 8.8.4.4 (Google public DNS) (Set IP as automatic)
Step 5. Restart the browser and check the websites.
This will fix the Net Err Cert Common Name Invalid error on Chrome.
If you want to ignore these errors, you can try this simple shortcut that bypasses all this error and that you can go through without any warning. But we recommend that you add this shortcut if you don’t share any of your account IDs and passwords with the site.
Open Chrome properties by right-clicking on Application.
Now add -ignore-certificate-errors at the end of the text box in the target section.
Restart Chrome and reload the page issue will go away.
If you have an antivirus that provides “HTTPS protection” or “HTTPS scanning”, this prevents Chrome from ensuring security.
Turn off the AV and if the page loads normally, make the necessary changes to prevent the AV from interfering with Chrome.
It is also recommended to modify the antivirus application if you suspect that the problem persists.
Step 1. Simply go to the URL ” chrome: // net-internals / # dns “.
Step 2. Click on the Clear Host Cache button next to the Host Resolver Cache.
Step 3. You will notice that the websites are functioning properly.
Step 4. This is one of the easiest and most useful fixes to fix DNS servers problems.
Google Services Framework synchronizes your data and stores device data. It also contributes to the proper functioning of Google Play services and associated Google applications.
Go to Settings> Application Manager> All> Google Services Framework> Tap “Force Stop” & tap then tap ” Clear Cache” button.
Restart your device.
For Chrome on Android
Click on the three dots in the Chrome browser.
Open the Settings.
Click here on privacy.
Clear browsing data.
Reload the page to find the fix.
For Chrome on PC
Settings → Clear browsing data → Select Delete cookies and caches → Tap Clear browsing data
Once done, restart the Chrome app and try to reload the page.
It is better to update Chrome as it may contain security fixes that will fix the issue in case you recently encountered the issue while surfing.
Updating the Chrome browser and / or Windows software, if applicable, can resolve the issue to a large extent.
We recommend that you use Chrome Update first – Settings → Help → About Chrome → Update Chrome.
If the above steps fail to resolve the “your connection is not private” on your WordPress site, then the problem is most likely a hosting environment issue.
There are many factors that can only be controlled and fixed by your hosting company. For instance, if their DNS servers are unable to resolve requests in a timely manner, then this will cause the error.
Another scenario could be slower connectivity or networking issues with your hosting server.
Simply drop them a support request with the error details and their technical staff can troubleshoot and apply a fix to solve it. They will identify the issue and fix it for you. If not, they may be able to tell you what the problem is at least so that you can take appropriate steps to fix it.
With these steps, you should be able to correct or work around the “Your connection is not private” error warning. Always keep in mind, however, that the server is sending you this message as an attempt to keep your browsing safe.
If you decide to bypass it to get to the page you want, keep in mind that you may end up having your privacy compromised.
You can also use software that you can use to protect your digital presence online. The information you share online has enormous value, so be careful as you browse to ensure your data doesn’t end up in corrupt hands.
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