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How to fix Your connection is not secure error on Windows 10?

While trying to access a website, you are faced with an error page that says, “Your connection is not secure”. Before we go ahead to explain how this can be fixed, you first need to understand why you are seeing it.

The URL of a secure website begins with HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure). Https shows that data exchange between your browser and the website is encrypted and cannot be hijacked by hackers. It is especially important for the protection of confidential transactions on banking and online shopping websites.

Chrome and Firefox browsers come with a list of certificate authorities preinstalled in their software. When you open a website that is meant to be secure, your browser first verifies that the certificate it presents is valid and the encryption is solid enough to protect your privacy.  If the encryption is not strong enough or the certificate cannot be validated, the browser does not proceed to the site and an error page is displayed.

The Your connection is not secure message is for your protection, so you should not feel bad when it happens. However, if it appears even when you try to access known and trusted websites like Google, Facebook, and other such sites, there are ways to work around it.

Keep reading to discover how to remove The Your connection is not secure message on Windows 10.

Fix 1: Set your date and time

Incorrect system time is among the most common causes of The Your connection is not secure error message. How is this so? There is an expiration date for the security certificate presented by a secure website. If your date or time is incorrect, there will be a discrepancy when your browser runs verification on the site. It might read the certificate as outdated and display an error message.

It is very easy to fix this in Windows 10. Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Right-click on the time and date display in the bottom right corner of your screen and click on Adjust date/time.
  2. Disable the Set time automatically option in the window that appears.
  3. Click on the Change button to set your date and time manually. Alternatively, after you have disabled the Set time automatically option, wait for some time and enable it again. Confirm the time zone.

You can also achieve this using a different process:

  1. Press Windows key + S on your keyboard and type date. Select date and time from the presented list.
  2. In the resulting options, click on Change date and time.
  3. Set the date and time and save changes.

After you have done the fix, restart your browser and try accessing the site again.

If you notice that the time and date of your PC always gets inaccurate, it may be that you have a faulty laptop battery or there’s a problem with time synchronization.

Fix 2: Check for malware

The Your connection is not secure message can appear when there is a malicious program on your PC that changes the system settings and causes malfunctions. Use Auslogics Anti-Malware to fix this problem. It checks for malware and data safety threats and gets rid of them. The tool does not conflict with the main anti-virus on your PC. It is also easy to set up and comes with a very user-friendly interface.

Fix 3: Deactivate your anti-virus software

Your anti-virus software provides an extra layer of protection to your browser. Sometimes, this might conflict with the existing security features on your browser and cause the Your connection is not secure message to appear.

When faced with this situation, you can temporarily disable your anti-virus software just to check if it is the cause of the error message. If the website goes through afterwards, go to Settings in your anti-virus software and disable the HTTPS or SSL scanning feature. This feature is what monitors your browsing activity.

Anti-virus protection is essential for the safety of your system and private information. It is not advisable to completely deactivate your anti-virus software if there is no way to disable the SSL or HTTPS scanning feature. Install a new anti-virus tool to keep your PC safe.

Fix 4: Restart your router

Router problems can result in the Your connection is not secure message. This can be easily fixed by restarting your router. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your router. If your modem and router are separate, turn off the modem as well.
  • Wait for about 30 seconds.
  • Turn on your modem/router again.
  • Check if the problem has been resolved after your router reboots.

This solution is a quick fix. So if the problem reoccurs, simply repeat the process.

Fix 5: Disable AdGuard

AdGuard protects you from unwanted ads. If a site contains potentially malicious ads, AdGuard will prevent it from loading and display the Your connection is not secure error message. You can disable AdGuard to access the site if you really need to.

To disable AdGuard, follow this process:

  • Close your browser, do not minimise.
  • Close AdGuard, wait for some time and turn it back on.
  • Open your browser and check if you can access the website.

If this problem persists, you may consider disabling AdGuard permanently (this is not recommended) or switch to a different ad blocker.

Fix 6: Reinstall certificates in AdGuard

A better option than disabling AdGuard is to reinstall certificates. The procedure is an easy one:

  • Close your browsers.
  • Open AdGuard.
  • Go to General Settings.
  • Scroll to the bottom and click on Reinstall Certificates.

The Your connection is not secure problem should now be resolved.

Fix 7: Disable the Family Safety feature

In Windows 10, you can sign in with your Microsoft account. There’s a feature that protects you and your loved ones from malicious websites, known as Family Safety. However, this feature can result in the Your connection is not secure error message on your browser. To disable it, follow this procedure:

  • Go to https://account.microsoft.com/family.
  • Sign in using your Microsoft account.
  • Remove the preferred account by clicking on the Remove button. If you are going to remove an adult account, ensure that you remove all child accounts first.

Open your browser and refresh the site to see if the message will still be displayed.

Fix 8: Bypass the warning

When faced with the Your connection is not secure message while attempting to visit a trusted website, simply bypass the warning. Here’s how:

  • On the error page, click on Advanced.
  • Click on Add Exception.
  • Now click on Confirm Security Exception.

If you want to see more information concerning the problematic certificate, click on the View button.

FAQs

How do I Fix my Firefox Connection is Not Secure?

There are three things you can do to get rid of the Connection is not secure message in Firefox.

Fix 1: Delete the cert8.db file

In Firefox, the Cert8.db file handles certificate storage. If this file is corrupted, you will get the Your connection is not secure error message when trying to access secure sites. To fix this problem, you would have to delete the file. Firefox will create a functional one afterwards so it is safe to delete it.

Here’s how to delete corrupt a cert8.db file:

  • Close Firefox, do not minimize.
  • Press Windows logo + R on your keyboard > type %appdata% and hit Enter or click OK.
  • Go to \Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ in the roaming folder.
  • In the Profile folder, select cert8.db and delete it.
  • Restart Firefox and see if you can now access the website.

Fix 2: Install a 32-bit version of Firefox

Another solution would be to update Firefox or install a 32-bit version. Users have reported that 64-bit versions of Firefox are not fully compatible with some anti-virus software. Apparently, this can cause the Your connection is not secure message to appear.

To check the version of Firefox on your PC, here’s what you have to do:

  • Open the Firefox menu, which is at the top right corner of the browser.
  • Click on the blue question mark icon at the bottom of the drop-down box.
  • Select About Firefox to see if you are using a 64-bit or 32-bit version.

If you are using a 64-bit version of Firefox, uninstall it and download a 32-bit version.

An alternative would be to update your anti-virus software to the latest version. If the problem still persists after you have done an update, then you can uninstall your 64-bit Firefox for a 32-bit version.

Fix 3: Check your certificates

Problems with certificates can result in the Connection is not secure error message. To add a new certificate, follow these steps:

  • Go to the directory where your anti-virus file is located. Depending on the version of the software you are using, the path may differ. Select Show hidden files and folders if you cannot find the ProgramData directory. All you have to do is open File Explorer and enable the Hidden items option under the View tab.
  • Open Firefox and go to the menu at the top right corner. Click on Options.
  • In the pane, click on Advanced. On the Certificates tab, click on View Certificates.
  • Navigate to the listing of your anti-virus software certificate. Click the Delete or Distrust button and follow the instructions to remove the certificate.
  • When the certificate has been deleted, click on the Import button. Locate your antivirus certificate file and add it.

After you have added the certificate, check to see if the Connection is not secure message still persists.

What is a secure connection in Firefox?

When you open a secure website (the URL begins with https), the website attempts to create secure communication with your browser. Firefox runs a check to make sure that the certificate presented by the website is valid, and that the encryption attempt is actually secure. Some websites may try to use outdated TSL mechanisms to create a secure connection.

A secure connection in Firefox is when the browser successfully validates the authority certificate of a secure website and its communication encryption attempt. If Firefox cannot validate the attempt, you will see a Secure Connection Failed error page.

How do I enable a secure connection in Firefox?

To enable a secure connection in Firefox, you should try any of the fixes as listed in this article:

  • Set your date and time
  • Restart your router
  • Check for malware
  • Disable the SSL or HTTPS scanning feature in your anti-virus software
  • Delete the cert8.db file
  • Check certificates
  • Reinstall certificates in AdGuard

Conclusion

To get rid of the Your connection is not secure error, it is easier to begin with the basic checks. The most common causes are incorrect date and time, malware, anti-virus software and ad blocker activity.

We hope you have found this post useful. Do leave a comment in the section below.