Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Upgraded to Windows 10 and all https sites give be this error (Error code: sec_error_unknown_issuer).

more options

Last night I upgraded my computer to Windows 10. When I tried to go to Facebook I got this error message:


The owner of facebook.com has configured their website improperly. To protect your information from being stolen, Firefox has not connected to this website.

This site uses HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to specify that Firefox only connect to it securely. As a result, it is not possible to add an exception for this certificate.


I thought this was weird so I tried to Google it to figure out the issue and I got the same message. Google Chrome works fine and is how I am able to access this forum. Any help I have found has pointed towards family safety settings being on (which they are not) and certain antivirus programs blocking the websites (I do not use these programs). AVAST seems to be the culprit for a lot of people but I don't have it installed on my computer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Last night I upgraded my computer to Windows 10. When I tried to go to Facebook I got this error message: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The owner of facebook.com has configured their website improperly. To protect your information from being stolen, Firefox has not connected to this website. This site uses HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to specify that Firefox only connect to it securely. As a result, it is not possible to add an exception for this certificate. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I thought this was weird so I tried to Google it to figure out the issue and I got the same message. Google Chrome works fine and is how I am able to access this forum. Any help I have found has pointed towards family safety settings being on (which they are not) and certain antivirus programs blocking the websites (I do not use these programs). AVAST seems to be the culprit for a lot of people but I don't have it installed on my computer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Chosen solution

Hey, you beat me to it! Congratulations.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (5)

more options

You don't have Avast, but there are other possibilities. I'll paste my whole spiel:

When you get "unknown issuer" for pretty much all secure sites, the problem usually is one of the following:

(1) Firefox not being set up to work with your security software that intercepts and filters secure connections. Products with this feature include Avast, BitDefender, Bullguard, ESET, and Kaspersky; AVG LinkScanner / SurfShield can cause this error on search sites.

(2) On Windows 10, Firefox not being set up to work with the parental control software Microsoft Family Safety. (To test by turning it off, see: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wi.../turn-off-microsoft-family-settings)

(3) Malware on your system intercepting secure connections.

If you have any of those specific security products:

That would be the first thing to check. This support article will walk you through it: How to troubleshoot security error codes on secure websites.

If none of those ring a bell:

You could inspect a sample certificate to see whether that points to the culprit. If you want to try that now, here's how I suggest starting:

Load my test page at: https://jeffersonscher.com/res/jstest.php

You likely will get an error page. Expand the "Advanced" button and look for an Add Exception button.

Note: You don't need to complete the process of adding an exception -- I suggest not adding one until we know this isn't a malware issue -- but you can use the dialog to view the information that makes Firefox suspicious.

Click Add Exception, and the certificate exception dialog should open.

Click the View button. If View is not enabled, try the Get Certificate button first.

This should pop up the Certificate Viewer. Look at the "Issued by" section, and on the Details tab, the Certificate Hierarchy. What do you see there? I have attached a screen shot for comparison.

more options

I do not have any of those security softwares. I ran the test page and got this as the issued by: VertoAnalyticsCA

more options

I fixed it by deleting the verto smartpanel app from my computer. Thanks for your help!

more options

Do you now or have you ever had this on your system: Smart Panel or Smart App from https://vertosmart.com/

Unless you want them watching all your browsing, I suggest removing that software.

Then, to clean up your connection:

(1) Proxy Setting

If you check Firefox's connection settings, do you notice anything unusual? Under:

"3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options > Advanced

Click the Network mini-tab, then the Settings button. The default of "Use system proxy setting" piggybacks on your Windows/IE "LAN" settings, but you also could try "No proxy" to see whether that makes any difference.

(2) Clean Windows Network Settings (if needed)

If the interception software is not running any more, then Firefox should connect directly. If it still can't connect, you might need to shut down/restart Windows, or perhaps there's another piece embedded in the Windows networking settings, for example, a Layered Service Provider or LSP.

There is a procedure to "reset" the Windows networking components, discussed in this thread: After upgrade to window 10, cannot access internet from firefox or chrome. I don't know whether that would help or cause new problems.

more options

Chosen Solution

Hey, you beat me to it! Congratulations.