Why does “Your Connection is Not Private” appear?

The “Your Connection is Not Private” error is a common security message that appears when your browser detects an issue with the security of the connection to the website you are trying to visit. Why would it appear to be a completely safe site that should care about privacy, you ask? This error indicates that the browser cannot establish a secure connection due to issues with the website’s SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate.

You may read further about SSL certificates in a dedicated article. But in short, to access a website, the browser must verify the server’s digital certificates. If verification fails, the browser will deny access to the website and display the message “Your connection is not private”. There can be several reasons for this, including:

• Incorrect system date and time
• Expired/misconfigured certificate
• Untrusted Certificate Authority (CA)
• Man-in-the-Middle attack
• Outdated browser
• Network issues

Ways to Fix a “Your Connection is Not Private” Error

Despite the issue looking as something serious and network-related, it is actually rather easy to fix even for beginners. Here, I have gathered solutions that will likely resolve the “Your connection is not private” problem.

Double-Check the URL and Reload the Page

This may seem obvious, but there can be a simple typo in the URL that prevents the website from loading. If everything is correct, try refreshing the page. An unstable connection, connection timeout, or other issues can lead to the error. Nonetheless, they are resolved by a simple page reload.

Check the Time and Date

Many cryptographic protocols, including SSL/TLS, rely on accurate time for validating certificates and other cryptographic operations. Additionally, an SSL certificate has a specific validity period and is issued for a set duration. If the date and time on your computer are significantly different from the real time, the browser may think that the certificate is either not yet valid or has already expired, even if this is not the case.

To set the time on a Windows PC:

Right-click on the clock in the system tray and select “Adjust time and date”.

Check the boxes next to “Time & language” and “Set time zone automatically,” then click “Sync now”.

To set the time on a Mac:

Open System Settings → General → Date & Time.

Ensure the checkbox next to “Set time and date automatically” is enabled.

Use Incognito Mode

Sometimes, cache, cookie data, and browser extensions can malfunction and interfere with page loading. In incognito mode, browsers do not load extensions or use stored cache and cookie data. This helps eliminate conflicts caused by misconfigurations, corrupted data, or conflicts with browser extensions. But when this does not help, the problem may sit deeper in the web browser configuration.

Clear Browser Cache

As mentioned earlier, browsers store information from previously visited websites. While cookies are helpful for personalizing browsing experiences, such as facilitating logins and online purchases, they can pose security risks. Clearing this data ensures operating only with the current information, and also enhances online security. This step is particularly crucial if there were issues due to incorrect settings previously.

If you are using Google Chrome:

Click the hamburger menu icon in the top right corner and select Settings. Scroll down and click on Privacy and security, then click on Clear browsing data.

Select the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files options. Then, click Clear data.

For data removal in Mozilla Firefox, tap the menu button and choose Settings. Choose the Privacy & Security panel and scroll down to the History.

Click the “Clear history…” button. The Clear Data dialog will appear. In the Clear Data dialog, you should select the following options: Cookies and Site Data (to remove login status and site preferences) and Cached Web Content (to remove stored images, scripts, and other cached content). Then, click Clear.

To delete the cache, history, and other browser data from Microsoft Edge, choose Settings and more → Settings → Privacy, search, and services.

Under Clear browsing data > Clear browsing data now, choose Choose what to clear. Under Time range, select a time range from the drop-down menu.

Select the types of browsing data you want to clear (see the table for descriptions). For example, you may want to delete cookies and browsing history but keep passwords and form fill data. Here, click Clear now.

Check Your Browser Extensions

Although extensions are not supposed to run in Incognito mode by default, some might still run. For example, malicious or unwanted extensions may enable the “run in incognito mode” checkbox upon installation. Depending on the results of previous steps, the issue might be resolved or not. If the problem persists, check your browser extensions for any unwanted or outdated ones.

Add “www” to the URL beginning

Sometimes websites have separate SSL certificates for “www” and non-“www” versions. Additionally, some sites are configured to automatically redirect you to the “www” version or vice versa. In any case, by adding the identifier to the URL beginning may fix the issue in some cases.

Update Your Browser and OS

Usually, both the browser and OS update automatically, but sometimes this might not happen. If you are using a Chromium-based browser, open settings and go to the “About” section. The browser will automatically check for updates and offer to install them.

Do the same with your operating system. If you are a Windows user, click Start → Settings.

Click Windows Update → Check for updates.

If you are a macOS user, open System Settings → General → Software Update and follow the instructions.

Check Your Antivirus, Firewall or VPN

In some cases, antimalware programs intercept and inspect HTTPS traffic, inserting their own certificates. This can cause SSL/TLS certificate issues if the antivirus handles them incorrectly. It may also use its own root certificates to verify website security, leading to conflicts and errors if the browser doesn’t trust these certificates.

VPNs, in turn, might route traffic through servers that aren’t trusted, potentially causing the error. Additionally, VPNs may use their own encryption methods and certificates, resulting in conflicts and the aforementioned error. If you are using a VPN, try disabling it and see if the issue is resolved.

Malware Activity Causing Your Connection is Not Private Error

Among the reasons for seeing the Your Connection is Not Private error may be the activity of a spyware in your system. This malware type is capable of different dirty deeds, including SSL certificate hijacking. By injecting a fake certificate during the user’s browsing flow, hackers can further decrypt the traffic and get all the sensitive data.

Modern browsers, on the other hand, are equipped against such attacks. They have a built-in certificate checking system, called exactly to detect any manipulations with SSL certs. And, seeing that spyware has hijacked one, it will simply cut the connection down, so the attack will fail. This, however, does not solve the problem for you personally – the page remains unavailable.

How To Check Your System

Fortunately, this issue can be resolved in a few clicks. You need to scan your device for malware. I recommend using GridinSoft Anti-Malware. It’s an excellent option because, in addition to cleaning up existing threats, it also provides real-time protection for your system.

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HTTPS vs HTTP

HTTPS and HTTP are two protocols for transferring data between web browsers and servers. The main difference between the two is the level of security and the way data is transmitted. For example, HTTP does not use encryption, so all data is sent or received as is. This makes them vulnerable to being intercepted and read by attackers in Man-in-the-Middle attack. This protocol is suitable for transmitting publicly available information that does not require protection.

On the other hand, HTTPS encrypts the transmitted data, providing protection against malicious users reading it. It also utilizes some features, which I will discuss in more detail. This protocol is the standard for transmitting sensitive information and establishing secure connections. Today, almost all websites use HTTPS.

What Is HTTP?

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It is the foundational protocol the World Wide Web uses to transfer and display information on websites. HTTP operates on a client-server model where the browser (client) requests information, and the web server responds with the requested data. HTTP uses port 80 by default for insecure connections and standardized messages to facilitate communication between clients and servers. These messages include methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, as well as status codes such as “200 OK”, “400 Bad Request”, “404 Not Found,” and “500 Internal Server Error”.

The first version of HTTP was released in 1997 and was called HTTP/1.1. Over time, updated versions of HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 have been released to improve performance and reliability. One of HTTP’s greatest strengths is its simplicity, which makes it easy to develop new applications and services that use HTTP as a base protocol.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It is an extension of HTTP designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. HTTPS uses encryption to protect data exchanged between the client and the server. HTTPS uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) or its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to encrypt the data transmitted between the browser and the server. SSL/TLS certificates contain public and private encryption keys for secure data transfer between browsers and websites. This ensures that even if the data is intercepted, it cannot be read without the decryption key.

When a user requests a website, the server sends a certificate containing a public key verified by the user’s browser. The browser and server establish a secure connection using a TLS handshake. By default, HTTPS uses port 443 for connections. During this handshake, they agree on a shared secret key that will be used to encrypt and decrypt the data.

By encrypting data and verifying a website’s identity, HTTPS provides users with a secure way to share and receive information online without worrying about the security of their data. This security makes HTTPS an essential protocol for online transactions, including online banking and e-commerce.

Why is HTTP Not Safe?

In fact, the HTTP protocol is hardly used today as it is vastly inferior to HTTPS. First, HTTP does not encrypt data between the server and the client, making it a cakewalk for attackers to intercept your transmitted data. Moreover, HTTP’s lack of authentication makes it a prime target for man-in-the-middle attacks.

In addition, HTTP does not authenticate the server to which the client is connecting. This allows attackers to spoof websites and trick users into providing sensitive information. When using HTTP, there is no guarantee that data has not been altered during transmission, making attacks aimed at spoofing or modifying data possible.

How to Verify I’m Using HTTPS?

To verify that you are using HTTPS when browsing a website, look at the URL in your browser’s address bar. It should start with “https://” instead of “http://”. Also, pay attention to the padlock icon in the address bar, usually to the left of the URL. A closed padlock indicates that the connection is secure.

Modern browsers often use additional indicators or visual cues, such as highlighting the address bar in green to show that the site uses HTTPS and has a valid SSL/TLS certificate. You can also click the lock icon for more information about connection security.

How to Boost Online Security?

Improving web browsing safety requires quite a lot of attention, but once you get used to it, the process will become almost unnoticeable. First, be vigilant when surfing the web and use a security solution. Pay attention to the lock icon in the address bar, and do not enter any sensitive data on sites that do not use encryption.

Another tip here is to use a software that can block suspicious and phishing pages. GridinSoft Anti-Malware has a built-in Internet security module to block phishing, scam and other shady pages. Try it out by pressing the banner below!

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