# Computer question: "security certificate" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240 "2006-07-27T11:33:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/1 "2006-07-27T11:33:42Z")
When surfing, how do you get rid of the message that says this: ```auto Information you exchange with this site cannot be viewed or changed by other. There is a problem with the site's security certificate. The security certificate is from a trusted certifying authority The security certificate has expired or is not valid The security certificate has a valid name matcin the name of the page you are trying to view. ``` Two of those messages are preceeded by a green check mark, and the other one has a little yellow yield sign. I think the messages started popping up after we swtiched to Verizon DSL, and they might be more frequent when I’m using CrazyBrowser than IE if that makes a difference. Thanks for any help. Sometimes they pop up twice for one page, and there’s always an option to download the certificate but even that doesn’t seem to permanently fix the problem. Besides, I don’t want to download one for every single page I visit. Is there a way to just turn them off? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/2 "2006-07-27T13:26:25Z")
[How can I turn off the “security alert” dialog boxes that appear when I access a secure Web site using Internet Explorer?](http://itinfo.mit.edu/answer?id=5228) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/3 "2006-07-27T13:50:28Z")
I found a couple things like that out there, but they seem to answer how to not get the prompt specifically from that site. I’ll try the third “bullet” on that site and see if that works. But, what they say to do is not how my work computer is set up and I don’t get them here. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/4 "2006-07-27T13:59:50Z")
Get rid of it by telling the webmaster of the website you are visiting to update his certificate. The warning is for your protection, to let you know that the certificate they are using to encrypt the traffic between your computer and theirs does not meet industry standards (ie, there is the possibility it is fake). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/5 "2006-07-27T15:56:06Z")
[QUOTE=aktep] Get rid of it by telling the webmaster of the website you are visiting to update his certificate. [/QUOTE] Do you have the email for the webmaster of Google? And Yahoo? And Amazon? It happens EVERYWHERE. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/6 "2006-07-27T17:53:53Z")
Have you checked your computer’s clock to make sure the date is set correctly? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/7 "2006-07-28T11:56:50Z")
[QUOTE=Cleophus] Have you checked your computer’s clock to make sure the date is set correctly? [/QUOTE] It’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2006, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-question-security-certificate/366240/8 "2006-07-28T13:10:37Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] It’s not. [/QUOTE] Then there’s you problem. Security certs use the date/time stamp to make sure that things check out. Fix that and your problems should clear up. Warning you about security certs potentially being bogus is a good thing.