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uk Technology & digital loss connection not private • your connection is not private • connection isn't private • website not secure warning • certificate warning on many sites • ssl certificate error • tls certificate problem • net err_cert_date_invalid • err cert_authority_invalid • warning potential security risk ahead • safari this connection is not private • edge connection isn't private • chrome connection not private • clock wrong causes certificate error • public wifi login portal issue • captive portal certificate warning • vpn proxy causing certificate errors • antivirus https scanning issue • trusted sites suddenly broken • possible man-in-the-middle • wifi intercept suspicion

What to do if…
your computer starts showing “connection not private” warnings on many trusted sites at once

Short answer

Stop typing passwords or card details. Switch to a known-safe connection/device and check your computer’s date/time—this pattern can be caused by a wrong clock, a Wi-Fi sign-in portal, or something intercepting your traffic.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t click through the warning to log in, pay, or enter personal information.
  • Don’t install any “certificate”, “security update”, or “fix” offered by a pop-up or unfamiliar site.
  • Don’t call any phone number shown inside a browser warning page.
  • Don’t keep troubleshooting while connected to unknown public Wi-Fi if you have another option.
  • Don’t disable security protections permanently just to make the warning disappear.

What to do now

  1. Stop the risky action. Close any tabs where you were about to sign in (email, banking, shopping, work systems).
  2. Check your computer’s date/time/time zone. Correct it if it’s wrong, then retry one trusted site. (A wrong clock can trigger certificate warnings across many sites.)
  3. Switch networks to isolate the cause.
    • If you’re on public Wi-Fi, disconnect and try mobile hotspot / mobile data instead.
    • If you’re on home Wi-Fi, try a phone hotspot briefly. If the warnings vanish on hotspot, your home network/router settings or ISP path may be involved.
  4. If you’re on Wi-Fi that needs a sign-in page (captive portal):
    • Disconnect/reconnect, then try loading a simple, non-sensitive website. This often triggers the Wi-Fi login page.
    • If it doesn’t, don’t force it—use mobile data and/or ask the venue for the correct network name and sign-in steps.
  5. Turn off connection-altering tools temporarily, then re-test.
    • Disable VPN, proxy, and any antivirus “HTTPS scanning / encrypted web scanning” feature.
    • If this is a work-managed device, don’t change managed security settings—go to your IT helpdesk (next step).
  6. If this is a work/school device or network: report it.
    • Contact your IT/service desk and say: “I’m getting certificate/‘connection not private’ warnings on multiple trusted sites at once.”
  7. If you entered a password after the warnings began:
    • From a known-good connection/device (for example, your phone on mobile data), change the password for your most sensitive account first (usually email), then any accounts that reused that password.
    • Turn on two-step verification where you can.
  8. If you think you were steered to a fake site or a scam:
    • Don’t keep testing it. Consider reporting the suspicious website (especially if it asked you to sign in or pay).
    • If you’ve lost money or shared details, use the UK cybercrime/fraud reporting service (Report Fraud) and contact your bank using the number on your card (not any number from a message or webpage).

What can wait

  • You don’t need to wipe your computer or reinstall everything right now.
  • You don’t need to decide whether you’ve been “hacked” before you’ve checked time and tested a second network.
  • You don’t need to contact every website individually when many trusted sites fail at once.

Important reassurance

This situation is common enough that browsers warn loudly even when the cause is mundane (like a wrong system clock or a Wi-Fi sign-in portal). Taking a cautious pause is sensible because the main risk is typing credentials on an untrusted connection.

Scope note

These are first steps only, to prevent harm and narrow the cause quickly. If the warnings persist across multiple networks after time/VPN/proxy checks, get hands-on IT support.

Important note

This is general information, not professional security advice. If you think you exposed passwords or payment details, prioritise securing accounts and contacting relevant providers.

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