What it means if the connection is not private

Comprehensive guide to understanding why the error message "the connection is not private", and how you can solve it: here's what you need to do.

Nowadays, surfing safely is essential. That's why, when connected, it's important to verify that the sites are trustworthy thanks to the presence of a padlock icon or the error message "the connection is not private". The latter is a warning system of the browser not to be underestimated, and that should not be ignored at all: when visible, in fact, it is possible that the information and data that we are sharing online are at risk and at the mercy of some malicious. In this guide, then, we're going to understand what are the reasons why the connection is not in private mode, and how to resolve this type of error, which prevents you from continuing to browse to protect our privacy.

The connection is not private: what is the SSL error

The error message "the connection is not private" indicates exactly what we are reading at that moment, namely that the browser we are using informs us that the site we are trying to access is not secure. Just as our connection is not secure. Cyber criminals could take advantage of the situation, especially if you don't use the useful functions of the many antiviruses on the market or those of encryption. It is no coincidence that to access any website, all the most popular browsers perform a check of the digital certificates on the server, verifying that the portal is safe to visit and respects all the standards imposed in terms of privacy. If the browser finds any gaps, access to the site is blocked and the offending error is returned.

These certificates, also known as public key infrastructures, are essential to prove the legitimacy of a website, and they protect passwords, personal information, sensitive information and payment details. When a connection isn't private on Chrome or any other browser, it's because of some anomaly that's inextricably linked to the SSL, Secure Sockets Layer, certificate. SSL-type certificates are relied upon to publish websites via secure HTTPS connections, the real watershed between authorized and unauthorized connections. Sono poi riconosciuti diversi motivi per cui può verificarsi un errore di connessione SSL:

  • Il nostro browser non è aggiornato
  • Il certificato è scaduto o non esiste
  • Errori nelle impostazioni dell’antivirus installato
  • Errori nelle impostazioni di data e orario del dispositivo
  • Problemi legati al server

Nell’ultimo caso, come intuibile, trattandosi di un problema dello stesso server, dovremo attendere che il proprietario o l’amministratore del sito vada a risolverlo per poter tornare a navigare in tutta tranquillità su quel dominio specifico.

La connessione non è privata: come risolvere l’errore

Fatta questa dovuta premessa sulla natura del messaggio di errore “la connessione non è privata", andiamo ora a capire cosa fare per poterlo risolvere. Almeno quando possibile. The solutions are valid for all browsers on the network, from Chrome to Safari, including Microsoft Edge and Mozilla FireFox.

Reload web page

The first advice may seem trivial, but in most cases it is particularly effective. Simply reload the page to stop the warning of a connection not in private mode. Obviously, the solution is valid only when the error is due to temporary conditions, such as small problems in the stability of the network, typing errors, or even the expiration of requests sent by the browser.

Adjust date and time

It may sound strange to you, but one of the main causes of this annoying problem is the wrong date and time settings. In some cases, if these do not match the browser's, they can generate an SSL connection error. On Windows PCs, you can check the date and time by right-clicking on them in the taskbar and then editing them by selecting Edit Date/Time. For Apple's Macs, on the other hand, go to the menu in the top left corner of the screen, clicking System Preferences and choosing Date and Time immediately after.

Use Incognito Browsing

Third and viable alternative is to proceed with incognito browsing to try to access the site. In case it is really unsafe, the connection should be blocked by the browser anyway, as the incognito mode suspends the saving of history and cached web elements.

Clear your cache and delete cookies

While talking about cache, it is a good idea to try clearing it in case you keep getting the message "connection is not private". When we browse online, your computer saves cookies to collect and store information about our activities. These are real files that are saved in the cache, which over time take up a lot of space on your hard drive. They should be deleted periodically to prevent the device from slowing down while browsing.

Check antivirus and firewall

If you have an antivirus program installed on your PC or Mac, you may see the "Connection not private" warning on your browser because the antivirus or firewall always takes priority over the network connection settings. To find out if this is the problem, you will necessarily, and only temporarily! disable the SSL verification feature.