Update your Operating System and/or Web Browser If You Get "Certificate Error" or "Connection is not private" errors

If you get a certificate error or connection is not private error message when trying to access a campus service like Blackboard, your device's operating system and/or browser is out of date. You need to upgrade your operating system (OS) and/or web browser.

By: Julie Sharma
Last Updated: November 03, 2022

If you get a certificate error or connection is not private error message when trying to access certain websites like Blackboard, your device's operating system and/or browser is out of date. You need to upgrade your operating system (OS) and/or web browser (see below for a list of OSs and web browsers that need to be updated).

If you can't upgrade but need to access the service now, you can use the Virtual SINC Site. See Stony Brook's Hardware page for new device recommendations.

Sample Error Messages

OSs and Browsers That Must Be Updated

  • Apple Mac OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) or earlier
  • Apple iOS 9 or earlier
  • Google Android 5.0 or earlier
  • Microsoft Windows Vista & 7 if the Update Root Certificates Feature has been disabled since before June 2010
  • Microsoft Windows XP if an Automatic Root Update has not been received since before June 2010
  • Mozilla Firefox 35 or earlier
  • Oracle Java 8 V 50 or earlier
  • Embedded devices (especially copy machines) that have not installed a firmware update since before mid 2015

More Information

Sectigo's legacy AddTrust External CA Root certificate expired on May 30, 2020 at 6:48 AM EDT. After it expired, anyone using an older or not-updated device will get an error message accessing certain campus services and website. To remedy this, those devices' operating systems/browsers need to be updated. If a device cannot be updated, a newer device is required.

Sectigo AddTrust External CA Root Expiring May 30, 2020

https://support.sectigo.com/articles/Knowledge/Sectigo-AddTrust-External-CA-Root-Expiring-May-30-2020  

AAA Certificate Services & AddTrust External CA Test Sites

http://testsites.test.certificatetest.com/  

FAQs

I get a "certificate error" or "connection is not private" message when I try to access website. What's wrong and what do I need to do?

May 30th, 2020, a certificate that allowed your older operating system/browser to safely access certain websites expired. To access those sites on your device again, you need to upgrade your operating system (OS) and/or web browser. 

If your device cannot be updated, you can use the Virtual SINC Site. See Stony Brook's Hardware page for new device recommendations.

For More Information Contact


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