Firefox protects. Fixing an insecure connection in the Mozilla Firefox browser. Using privacy settings while surfing the web
Mozilla Firefox is a web browser that is included in the list of the most popular browsers of our time. It has serious internal protection, which, at times, protects too well, preventing access to obviously safe sites. Today we will talk about ways to resolve the “Your connection is not secure” error.
When you go to a secure web resource, the Mozilla Firefox browser necessarily checks for the presence of fresh certificates that guarantee the complete security of the site. If the browser fails to detect them, the message “Your connection is not secure” is displayed on your screen.
Unfortunately, this error often occurs to users when going to web resources that clearly have up-to-date certificates. If you encounter a similar problem, then one of the methods described below should definitely help you.
Method 1: setting the current armor and time
Each security certificate has its own validity period. If, for example, the date and time are set incorrectly on your computer, then this data will not match the certificate data, which means Firefox will not allow you to access protected sites.
If the problem was an incorrectly set date and time, then after making the necessary changes, the problem will be completely eliminated.
Method 2: setting up the antivirus program
If you use an antivirus program on your computer, then you should make sure that it is not blocking access to the site. Checking this is quite simple: shut down the antivirus (temporarily), and then check the functionality of the browser.
If after performing these steps the problem is resolved, then the real problem is that the antivirus is taking the protection of your computer too seriously. In this case, you should go through the antivirus settings and find the section responsible for Internet protection: network scanning, SSL checking, protection while surfing the web, etc. Disable this type of protection, after which Firefox will return to normal.
Method 3: checking viral activity
Almost any virus that gets onto a user’s computer tends to disrupt the browser. In this regard, if you encounter problems when navigating to websites, you should think about the presence of virus activity.
In this case, you will need to scan your computer for viruses using an antivirus program installed on your computer or a separately downloaded utility, for example. If the scan results reveal viruses on your computer, you will need to get rid of them and then restart your computer.
Method 4: Reinstall the browser
The Mozilla Firefox web browser may not work correctly as a result of a system failure or virus activity (which we hope you have eliminated), so you should really try to reinstall it.
Method 5: Delete the certificate store
The Mozilla Firefox browser stores all received certificates on the computer in the profile folder. In this case, we can assume that the storage was, for example, damaged, so the solution to the problem would be to reinstall it.
Method 5: Check for updates for your computer
?If automatic installation of system updates is disabled on your computer, then a problem with Firefox may arise for this very reason.
You can check your browser for updates through the menu “Control Panel” – “Windows Update”.
If your search found current updates, you will need to install them.
Method 6: Working in Incognito mode
This method does not solve the problem, but only allows you to navigate to sites in Firefox in a workaround. The essence of the method is to use Incognito mode - a function when the browser does not save any information about the site on the computer.
To enable Incognito mode, click on the Internet browser menu button in the upper right corner, and then select "Private window".
Method 7: Deactivate the proxy
If proxy operation is activated in your browser, then this mode can easily affect the incorrect display of sites.
Method 8: adding a site to exceptions
This method should only be used if you are completely confident in the security of the site. Its essence is that you will add the site to the list of exceptions, so that Firefox will not find fault with its certificates.
Actually, these are all the recommendations that can solve the problem with an unsecured connection in the Mozilla Firefox browser. We hope this article was useful to you and you were able to return your browser to normal functioning.
- · Content Security Policy
- · Customizable security settings
- · Parental control
- · Secure updates
- · Detection of outdated plugins
- · Private browsing
- · Integration with antivirus
- · Protection from fraudsters
- · Erasing recent history
- · Protection from malicious sites
- · Anti-surveillance
- · Securing connections to the website
- · Automatic updates
Firefox's Content Security Policy is designed to prevent cross-site scripting attacks by providing a mechanism for sites to explicitly tell the browser what content is legitimate. The browser can ignore any content not approved by the site, which increases security.
Customizable security options
You can control the level of thoroughness with which Firefox scans sites. You can create exceptions for sites that do not need to be fully scanned. Configure settings for saving passwords, downloading images, and installing add-ons for complete control over your online experience.
Use the parental controls you set in Windows 7 to stop unwanted downloads and more.
Secure Updates
Firefox uses a secure connection before installing or updating add-ons, third-party software, and wallpapers.
Plugins are small components of third-party applications created by companies such as AdobeSystems or Apple that provide the ability to run videos, animations and games. Outdated versions of plugins can be a major security hole, so we've created a lightweight tool to help you keep them up to date. Check your plugins.
Sometimes you need to surf the Internet secretly, leaving no trace. If private browsing mode is turned on, then after your journey, others will not find a single trace of web surfing after you. You can quickly enter and exit private browsing mode, so you can easily go back to what you were doing before as if nothing happened (you can also work in private browsing mode all the time). This is especially useful if you work with your bank on a shared computer or check email at an Internet cafe.
Firefox works well with your Windows antivirus. When you download a file, your antivirus program automatically scans it, protecting you from viruses and malware that might otherwise attack your computer.
Securely conduct your shopping and business online. Firefox updates its lists of fake websites every half hour, so if you try to visit a fraudulent site that imitates one you trust (like your bank), you'll be stopped by a big warning message.
Erase all your personal data or just your activities from the last few hours with a few clicks. You have complete control over what is deleted, and at your direction, your information will be erased - whether on your computer or on a computer at your local library. It is so simple.
Firefox protects you from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware. If you accidentally end up on a site that attacks users, Firefox will warn you that you should not visit this site and tell you why the site is unsafe.
Many websites track your online activities and sell this data to advertisers. If this makes you uncomfortable, Firefox allows you to tell sites that you don't want them to collect data about your online behavior and want to keep where you go private.
Firefox prevents attackers from intercepting sensitive data by automatically establishing a secure connection to websites that offer a connection to a secure https server.
Firefox will automatically notify you when a new version is available, so you can make sure your browser always has the latest security patches.
As a generalization, the presence of some of the most important web browser security technologies available today is presented in table form. The table is not the result of any browser testing. The data presented in the table is based on information provided by browser manufacturers.
This is one of the most effective and popular browser extensions that allows you to block the loading and display of various page elements: overly intrusive or unpleasant advertising banners, pop-ups and other objects that interfere with the use of the site.
This is a Firefox extension that blocks the execution of JavaScript, Java applets, Flash and other potentially dangerous components of HTML pages until the user allows their execution on a given node or globally. NoScript also allows users to maintain whitelists of sites that are allowed to use this feature.
A free browser add-on that warns the Internet user about sites with a low reputation when searching for information or making purchases. An extension that shows next to the links the level of trust sites set for communities.
Safe Mode is a special Firefox mode that can be used to troubleshoot and fix problems. Safe Mode temporarily turns off hardware acceleration, resets some settings, and disables add-ons (extensions and themes) that might be causing problems. By comparing Firefox behavior in normal mode to its behavior in Safe Mode you may be able to pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Note: Windows users may be familiar with a Safe Mode for Windows. Firefox Safe Mode has no connection to Windows Safe Mode.
The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. Consider using it before going through a lengthy troubleshooting process.
Table of Contents
How to start Firefox in Safe Mode
Click the menu button, click helpClick the menu button, click Help and select Restart with Add-ons Disabled…. Firefox will start up with the Firefox Safe Mode dialog.
Note: You can also start Firefox in Safe Mode by holding down the shift key while starting Firefox. holding down the option key while starting Firefox.quitting Firefox and then going to your Terminal and running: firefox -safe-mode
You may need to specify the Firefox installation path (e.g. /usr/lib/firefox )
Safe Mode window
You now have two options:
- Clicking the Start in Safe Mode button will temporarily disable your extensions and themes, turn off hardware acceleration and reset toolbar and button customizations. When you leave Safe Mode and start Firefox up normally, your extensions, themes, and settings will return to the state they were in before you entered Safe Mode.
- Clicking the Refresh Firefox button will restore Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. See Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings for more information about this option.
Troubleshooting problems in Safe Mode
Once Firefox is in Safe Mode, you"ll want to test its behavior and see if the problem goes away.
The problem happens in Safe Mode
If the problem still happens in Safe Mode, it is not being caused by an extension or theme. Other possible causes could be plugins or changes made to Firefox preference settings, which are not disabled in Safe Mode. See the following articles for solution:
The problem does not happen in Safe Mode
If the problem does not happen in Safe Mode, it is most likely because of an extension, theme or hardware acceleration.
- See the article
This is not a find for hidden surfing, but a tool for troubleshooting the program. Firefox Safe Mode turns off all extensions and themes, hardware acceleration, and resets user settings. But at the same time it saves them for restoration. This is quite a convenient and most effective way to speed up performance and restore stability.
We go to the menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal stripes, which, as a rule, is located in the upper right corner of the application window. In the panel that opens, click the icon with a question mark - “ Reference».
Select the item “ Restart without add-ons" If everything is done correctly, upon startup the “ Firefox safe mode" To exit, simply close the application, including additional windows.
When starting, two buttons will appear to choose from: “ Run in Safe Mode" And " Clean Firefox».
The second option resets all cache files, cookies, passwords, deletes extensions, history, and resets user settings to default. In theory, the browser should work like new. You will have to restore all your bookmarks and settings manually.
Attention: When RAM is loaded or the amount is low, the browser will start with a delay of up to 2 minutes. It is also common for the application to crash and freeze in safe mode. In this case, you need to restart your computer or reinstall the application - remove and .
Solving the performance problem
If an application is unstable in safe mode, then the problem lies not in the settings, extensions or theme, but in something else, for example, in the computer hardware. If problems do not arise, Mozilla works stably and quickly, you should turn off the theme and some add-ons.
Firefox developer and hacker Robert O'Callahan temporarily left Mozilla, became free from corporate obligations and is now free to speak the truth without reservation. He called on users to immediately remove third-party antiviruses from their computers (it's better to leave Windows Defender).
“Now [after leaving Mozilla] I can safely say: antivirus software developers are terrible; do not buy antivirus programs, and uninstall those already installed (except Microsoft, if you are on Windows,” said Robert.
Basic security rules: monitor operating system updates, install the latest security patches. The specialist added that if a person has to use outdated Windows 7 systems or, God forbid, Windows XP, then third-party antiviruses will still help him not to be in a complete hole - to feel that there is at least some kind of protection.
The call to remove harmful third-party antiviruses applies, of course, primarily to Windows 10. And it mainly concerns paid programs, because if you installed a useless thing for free, that’s one thing, but if you installed a useless thing for money and continue to pay, that’s completely different. Moreover, third-party antiviruses cannot always be called neutrally useless, because they consume CPU resources and battery power on mobile devices, so users also have to give computing resources to these “cash cows” of the information security market. And most importantly, third-party antiviruses can significantly worsen PC security.
“At best, there is a slim chance that a mainstream non-Microsoft antivirus will at least slightly improve security. It's more likely that they will significantly reduce safety. For example, look at the list of vulnerabilities in antivirus products listed on Google's Project Zero vulnerability catalog pages."
An example of fixing 0-day vulnerabilities in a popular antivirus product, 2015-2016.
The most famous commercial antiviruses contain dozens of vulnerabilities. We are talking about those bugs that are usually discovered by third-party researchers or are already actively exploited by malware. Antivirus developers try to close these bugs, but many users do not update their antivirus or install patches. In addition, the update will not help if attackers know of other vulnerabilities that have not yet been publicly disclosed. And there are many such bugs, because an antivirus is a very tempting target for hackers. The antivirus sits in the OS at the lowest level, and by hacking it you can gain full access to the file system, right down to the OS bootloader.
The presence of serious bugs in antiviruses makes two things clear:
- Antiviruses open up a variety of attack vectors for attackers.
- Antiviruses are written without following standard security rules.
Schuh explained that antiviruses are "poisoning the software ecosystem" because their invasive and poorly written code makes it difficult for browsers and other programs to ensure their own security. O'Callahan recalls that when Firefox first introduced support for the ASLR memory protection mechanism in Firefox on Windows, antivirus programs constantly broke this protection by injecting their DLLs into software processes without ASLR protection.
On several occasions, antivirus programs blocked Firefox updates, preventing the installation of the latest important security updates. Developers have to spend a lot of time bypassing antivirus software. But this time could have been devoted to other security issues.
“The biggest insidious thing is that it's difficult for software developers to talk out loud about these problems because they need assistance from antivirus vendors,” says O'Callahan. “With the possible exception of Google recently. Users have been forced into it is a misconception that an antivirus provides security, and no one wants antivirus manufacturers to speak badly about your browser. Antiviruses are everywhere, and if it breaks your browser, then you need their help to fix the situation. Browser developers cannot say directly and officially. users should turn off their antivirus, because if something bad happens that the antivirus could potentially prevent, then they will get the worst of it.
“When the browser crashes when loading due to antivirus interference, the browser is to blame, not the antivirus. Even worse, if they make your program incredibly slow and bloated, users will think that your browser is that slow and bloated,” O'Callahan concludes depressingly, recalling the situation with the Firefox browser, which consumed a huge amount of RAM after installing McAfee antivirus modules .
Antivirus is an obvious gap in computer security, not only because of the dangerous new vulnerabilities it adds to the system. This is a vulnerability by its very nature, because many antiviruses install their own root certificates by default without warning, injecting themselves into HTTPS traffic using the MitM principle. Most antiviruses are, in any case, a degradation of HTTPS protection, as information security experts have repeatedly warned about.
Although O'Callahan himself prefers to refrain from a negative assessment of the Microsoft antivirus, it should be noted that this particular antivirus has the worst effect on computer performance (only the antivirus from Trend Micro slows down the system more than Windows Defender).
