How to fix a “Your connection is not private” error

An error that says “Your connection is not private”, or similarly, “ERR_CERT_AUTORITY_INVALID” occurs when either you or the site you’re visiting has an expired SSL certificate or the browser isn’t able to verify the security of the site you intend to visit. That sounds complicated, but the fix is quite simple.

An SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate is simply the means by which your computer verifies a website’s identity — much like an electronic ID that you’d use to access your workplace — and helps establish a secure and encrypted connection between your computer and the server you wish to connect to.

The average user i.e. you or I need not concern ourselves with how these work as these interactions are handled automatically. But here are some steps you can take if the error does pop up.

1. Check your date and time

One of the most common causes for this error is an incorrectly set system date and time. This can occur after a fresh install of your OS or perhaps a broken Windows update. It can also happen on new laptops or desktops, or on PCs where the CMOS battery has died. You’ll know if it’s the latter case if your PC constantly loses track of date and time when it’s been shut down for a while.

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Whatever the case, to access the website that’s throwing up the error, you need to fix your date and time. In Windows, simply right click on the date in your taskbar and select “Adjust date and time”. Enable the “Set time zone automatically” and “Set time automatically” toggles. You can adjust the time zone in case it’s set incorrectly, but this will not affect the certificate.

2. Install any pending updates

In some rare instances you might need to update your OS installation as it might be missing a critical update. The same goes for the browser as well. It’s possible that some important security feature or update is missing, which is preventing you from browsing the web.

3. Clear cache and browsing data

Another option is to clear your browser cache and cookies. If you’re worried about losing critical data or just don’t want the inconvenience of being logged out of websites, you could also try your browser’s incognito mode to confirm that you need to clear cookies and cache. Another option is to try a different browser entirely. You can also try restarting the computer to see if that helps.

4. Check your antivirus software

While we don’t recommend antivirus programs (Windows Defender is more than enough), some workplaces might install it by default or you might have one pre-installed.

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An aggressive antivirus or one that’s misconfigured could be interfering with your ability to browse the web freely. Try disabling the antivirus program and firewall if you have the option. You might not be able to do this on a work PC or if you don’t have admin access.

5. Use a VPN

Lastly, if you’re on public Wi-Fi or in an area with a restrictive Wi-Fi network (such as in an office), you might not be able to access that particular site. You could try using a VPN — which is something you should be doing by default when using public Wi-Fi anyway. Using a VPN in an office setting could get you into trouble, though, depending on what the office’s IT policies are.

The “Your connection is not private” error is a frustrating one to encounter, but as you can tell, the fix is usually very simple. For most users, simply fixing their date and time will resolve the problem.