DO Pay Attention

to certificate errors if you encounter them and do NOT just accept them when there is a reported issue that pops up in your browser.

Certificates are used to provide proof of identify when you connect to a website so that you will not think some malware site is actually your bank - and happily enter your banking credentials! In virtually all cases these errors need to be dealt with by the company/domain owner and not simply bypassed - or added - just becasue they are an inconvenience when they occur. The warning is there for a reason.

Sometimes it is a minor issue of the certifcate expiring recently and is just in need of being updated. But a long overdue certificate is a cause of concern as are certificates whose name does not match the site you are intending to connect to (ie: trying to connect to amazon.ca and the certificate warning popup showing as website.com in the certificate details).

But there are those that are attempting to abuse the trust system by infecting websites that you may already visit. On an infected site, they can use this "protection" mechanism to get you to install/reference FAKE certificate lists - - so be even more aware of what you click on after receiving a warning.

The best option is to contact the domain owner/company and to NOT click through until you have an adequate answer. Yes, this even goes for your OWN website, if you happen to see a warning!

Have a look at the article below for more info.
Our clients can of course contact us for help.