What to Do About a “Your Connection Is Not Private” Message

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Online security should always be a top priority, whether you’re using the internet chiefly for personal or professional reasons. Your data and that of your loved ones should never be vulnerable to hackers. You need to protect the devices you use to access web pages and ensure your personal information is never put at risk. This means taking all the right steps to secure devices with antivirus software, only visiting trusted websites, being on the lookout for phishing attempts, and more.

Receiving a “your connection is not private” message should be an instant red flag when you’re surfing the web. This means that the connection is not secure, and it comes from your browser, which runs checks on sites to ensure they have the right digital certificates in place. The message may also read “Your connection is not secure” or “This connection is not private,” depending on the type of browser you’re using.

This error message indicates that the website you are trying to load does not have the proper security certifications, so it is not following all necessary privacy standards, or there could be something wrong on your end. You will be more susceptible to hackers by proceeding to the website if you do not have antivirus or encryption software on your device.

Here is an overview of reasons why you receive a “your connection is not private” message and eight steps to deal with it.

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Causes of “Your Connection Is Not Private”

You will usually receive a “your connection is not private” message when there is something wrong with the website’s secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate. This protection ensures optimal security, so you can safely visit a website, and moves the connection from HTTP to HTTPS, which is more secure. There are a few potential reasons that there’s something wrong with the SSL certificate when trying to visit a site, which will trigger the error message:

There Is No Certificate

Your browser may have detected that a website’s SSL certification is nonexistent or expired.

An Update Is Needed

Sometimes this message means that your browser isn’t updated, which can also put you at risk.

The Settings Aren’t Right

This message could also be triggered because your settings are not configured properly, related to antivirus or date and time. The date and time on your computer need to match the browser, otherwise, the security checks may not pass.

Sometimes there is an issue with a server that could also be the culprit. Your browser is alerting you to an issue, whatever it may be, that should make you reconsider visiting the website. Make sure you take this alert seriously. There may not be a serious threat, but the message means that your browser is unable to verify whether or not it’s safe to go forward.

8 Steps to Take When You Get This Error Message

There are steps you can take aside from just moving on to another, safer website. You may need to access this particular site or you may be getting this message across websites, indicating that it could be an issue you can solve on your end. Here are eight steps to try when you get the “your connection is not private” message.

1. Try Refreshing

Try refreshing the page first. This may fix any glitches that could be causing the message. You may even want to close down your browser and reopen it.

2. Check the Clock Settings

Make sure your date and time settings are accurate. Go to System Preferences on a Mac or right-click on the time on your desktop on a Windows computer.

3. Get on Secure Wi-Fi

Sometimes public Wi-Fi doesn’t have great configuration and can lead to security issues. Get on a secured network, like a home network with a password or a virtual private network (VPN), and try to reload the page.

4. Clear the Cache

Your connections can be slowed down and impacted negatively by cookies that your browser stores. Clear the cache and cookies on your browser and your connection may improve if that turns out to be the reason for the error message.

5. Browse Privately

Your browser won’t save your history or cache when you are in private or “incognito” mode. Try going private and reload the page.

6. Disable Your Antivirus Software

Your error message may be coming from protections from your VPN or antivirus software. Disable your software to see if the website will load, and if it does, you have found the source.

7. Check for Updates

Your operating system may not be up to date and, as mentioned, this can be the cause of a security alert. Check to make sure you are not due for any updates. 

8. Use Caution

It is easy to feel frustrated when you get an error message, especially if you really need to access a certain website. Just remember to use caution if you do decide to proceed, even when taking the above steps. There is a reason you received the “your connection is not private” message, so consider avoiding that website.

Never put your data at risk by ignoring warnings from your computer or browser. Trying all of these steps and still not being able to move forward means you may need to reach out to experts for help.

Shred Cube Helps You Protect Your Information

You might need a new approach to data security, especially if you’re getting lots of alerts when you’re trying to browse the web or do normal online tasks. Sometimes it just makes sense to leave it to the experts and not try to do anything on your own that could put you at risk.

Shred Cube helps you protect your information by permanently shredding files you no longer need on your computer, and they become unrecoverable. Bad actors can still recover your information if it was saved to the hard drive, even if you delete files from your local device. We give you a solution that’s easy to use and effective—the Shred Cube easily plugs into your computers or mobile devices using a USB connection.

Permanent file deletion is one of the most effective ways to keep your information safe from hackers. Contact Shred Cube for more information about how digital file shredding can protect your information.

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