Many browser users encounter a problem when a security certificate expires. A dialog box informs about what has happened and offers to take some actions to restore functionality.
However, for most ordinary users, the problem with certificates seems intractable. As a result of an error in the browser, they cannot use it normally. Sometimes such an error can completely alienate the use of a particular browser, while preference will be given to another product for browsing the Internet. They ask the question: "When the certificate has expired, what should I do?"
What is a security certificate?
It is an electronic document that provides one or another web resource in evidence of the reliability of its content. That is, going to a particular site, the browser requests an individual certificate, thereby protecting the user from getting to sites containing malicious materials.
Certificates are installed not only for sites, but also for applications that use a browser. If the certificate has expired, what to do will tell you a dialog box that appears as a result of this error.
Why do they expire
Certificates are proof of the security of the content contained on the site, indicate the security of user data. In addition, thanks to them, site administrators get access to indexing in search engines, that is, the ability to promote the site.
The document in electronic form also requires updating - you must constantly keep the site and its contents safe. The same principle applies as for credit cards that have a limited validity period. What to do - the certificate has expired, but is it really necessary to access the site? Perhaps the problem lies in the maintenance staff of the site, which did not provide the necessary information to renew the certificate on time.
Where are security certificates used?
The use of electronic documents to verify the site or application is a prerequisite for the favorable promotion of the product. Therefore, the presence of this resource is important for website administrators - it allows them to develop their creation. If the site does not meet the required security conditions and the certificate has expired, what should I do? "Opera" on the computer, however, like other programs for browsing the Internet, notifies the user with a corresponding message, warning him of the unreliability of the resource.
Certificates can be used not only in browsers such as Opera and Chrome, but also in electronic devices like smartphones. Manufacturers of modern electrical engineering care about the health of their devices, putting a lot of effort into developing software for them. Those who offer users additional content for their smartphones must first agree with the manufacturer of the device and software for it. This is also done using security certificates.
If the message "certificate has expired" appears, what to do is necessary to find out in the support service of the developer of the corresponding software that is responsible for checking this data.
What are the security certificates?
Certificates for applications and sites are contained in a special database. Each time a user visits the site, a request is sent to the latter to identify his unique certificate.
There are two kinds of certificates that Internet browsers use. They differ in the way they are licensed, that is, confirmation. The fact is that each of them has a digital signature issued by a trusted agent-guarantor to the website that requested it.
Most network resources are certified by a third-party agent that identifies them as secure (for example, this is Thawte).
If the signature is not found in the database, then the certificate has expired. What to do? Opera uses its own certificate authority, which has information about all signatures. The absence of the latter in the database is a sign of the unreliability of the site.
There are also self-signed certificates. They are safe, as they are signed by licensed persons and organizations that themselves take responsibility for the contents of their resources.
If the certificate is missing or expired, how to get access?
When electronic products do not meet the requirements, a message appears stating that the certificate has expired. What should the site owner do in this case? Definitely, look for ways to solve this problem, otherwise the web browser will inform network users about distrust of this resource. It is impossible to completely ban access to the resource, however when moving through the pages of the site the user will see information about the lack of a certificate.
The most thorough of all web browsers is Opera. Basically, it is with this browser that most of the complaints about expired certificates and the problems caused by them are associated.
Why in "Opera" there is an error of validity of certificates
The Opera browser is one of the most popular among the participants of the World Wide Web, at the same time it has a high degree of attention to security checks of sites and applications located on the Internet. For example, Google Chrome is more loyal to security, and most of the procedures for filtering the reliability of sites and applications are undertaken by its developers. Users practically do not complain about errors associated with security certificates.
The occurrence of this kind of error may be due to the two most common causes.
The first of them - indeed, the site has lost the status of safe and the certificate has expired. What should the user do on the computer in this case? Unfortunately, nothing, since the security policy depends only on the site manager personnel.
The second category of problems is associated with errors in the computer or incorrect settings on it. In this case, care must be taken to eliminate the relevant reasons, otherwise using the "Opera" will be extremely inconvenient.
The certificate has expired. What should I do at Opera?
To understand what lies behind the cause of the annoying error, you need to check the functionality of other sites and applications - if there is no error regarding them, then the problem will not be fixed. This should be done by site administrators. They know exactly what to do.
"The certificate has expired!" - Such a message sometimes appears when you visit any page. In this case, you need to perform a number of simple actions:
1. Check the time and date of the operating system - the clock should not lag. Also open the BIOS and see its internal settings, if they go astray, then fix it.
2. Using an antivirus with updated databases to the latest version, conduct a deep scan of the system and registry. You also need to check the hosts file for changes. After downloading and installing the browser from the official site.