# Secure Connection Failed



## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

I have used this link to the Washington Examiner for a long time, via a bookmark. washington examiner link

Starting yesterday, using Firefox browser, I always now get a 'Problem Loading Page' error that says:
_Secure Connection Failed
An error occurred during a connection to www.washingtonexaminer.com. Peer’s Certificate has been revoked.
Error code: SEC_ERROR_REVOKED_CERTIFICATE
The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified.
Please contact the website owners to inform them of this problem._

It does not happen if I switch to the Microsoft Edge browser, so it must be specific to Firefox. 
Is there anything I can do to resolve this (besides use Edge)?
Is this FF making visibility decisions for me based on content?

Thanks


----------



## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

You might try:
---------------
How do I fix a Certificate error in Firefox?
Do the following:
On the error page, click "Or you can add an exception".
Click "Add Exception". ...
Click "Get Certificate".
Click "View" to display a window that describes the problem with your site. ...
After you have verified the certificate, close the dialog. ...
Click "Confirm Security Exception" to trust the site.
-------------------

Looks like a common FireFox issue:
Only Firefox desktop browser has: Error code: SEC_ERROR_REVOKED_CERTIFICATE | Firefox Support Forum | Mozilla Support


----------



## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Try checking for browser updates.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Reboot.

Check for Firefox updates.


----------



## Decomposed (10 mo ago)

mzgarden said:


> I have used this link to the Washington Examiner for a long time, via a bookmark. washington examiner link
> 
> Starting yesterday, using Firefox browser, I always now get a 'Problem Loading Page' error that says:
> _Secure Connection Failed
> ...


The problem does not occur with other browsers. I've checked Opera, Edge, Chrome and AVG Secure Browser.

I have not successfully established an exception in Firefox for the washingtonexaminer.com site. 

I don't recommend doing this since it's a security setting that affects all websites, but you CAN get to Washington Examiner by going into Firefox's Application Menu (upper right), 
o clicking on Settings, then
o Privacy & Security, then 
o Unclicking "Query OCSP responder servers to confirm the current validity of certificates". 

But the option is turned on for a good reason, and you open yourself up to considerable risk if you turn off the check for security certificates.

I'll be surprised if the problem does not get fixed by either Mozilla or Washington Examiner in the very near future. It's probably just that Washington Examiner let its certificate become obsolete. I don't know why other browsers wouldn't be picking up on the issue, though.


----------



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I'm thinking about switching from FF to something that's less of a space hog. In addition to Mozilla's horrendous business practices, FF eats up too much space, gives me warnings when I don't want them, blocks sites even though I told it not to... 

My biggest problem is that I am too darned lazy to learn a new program.


----------



## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

Well, I tried to locate the option for an exception on the error window - couldn't find it.
I have shut down, hard booted to restart and checked the FF version is most current.
I'm not willing to open up ALL the security checks.
I guess I'll wait and see what happens. I'm not desperate for that site I just wondered if I could control it.
@Pony I'm with you. I switched to the Brave search engine and should probably change browsers but, yeah.....


----------



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

mzgarden said:


> Well, I tried to locate the option for an exception on the error window - couldn't find it.
> I have shut down, hard booted to restart and checked the FF version is most current.
> I'm not willing to open up ALL the security checks.
> I guess I'll wait and see what happens. I'm not desperate for that site I just wondered if I could control it.
> @Pony I'm with you. I switched to the Brave search engine and should probably change browsers but, yeah.....


I need to lose Duck, Duck, Go now, too, because they decided to jump on the censorship bandwagon.


----------



## Decomposed (10 mo ago)

mzgarden said:


> Well, I tried to locate the option for an exception on the error window - couldn't find it.


Within Firefox, go to Settings // Security & Privacy // View Certificates (you'll have to scroll way down for this) // Servers (one of the tabs) // Add Exception 

But I can't figure out how to get "Confirm Security Exception" button to stop being greyed out. So I can't get add the exception for www.washingtonexaminer.com


----------



## Decomposed (10 mo ago)

Pony said:


> I need to lose Duck, Duck, Go now, too, because they decided to jump on the censorship bandwagon.


Two that claim they don't censor are: 
Brave Search : Brave Search
PreSearch : Presearch 

One of the two... I've forgotten which... says that 20% of the time or so it has inadequate results and then pulls results from Bing - which DOES censor.


----------



## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Decomposed said:


> Two that claim they don't censor are:
> Brave Search : Brave Search
> PreSearch : Presearch
> 
> One of the two... I've forgotten which... says that 20% of the time or so it has inadequate results and then pulls results from Bing - which DOES censor.


Thanks.


----------



## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

I tried to access the site in FireFox and got the same message.

And it says, "There is no option to add a security exception to bypass this type of error."

They did say to check your PC's time clock and make sure it's correct. I have run into that before---maybe when daylight saving time changed. But my PC's time is right, and I get the error message in FireFox.

I stopped using FireFox long ago.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Sure Washington Examiner just forgot to update things. But this is why one wants more than one browser. Sometimes particular sites are just unfriendly to a particular browser or vice versa. 

Can always use Yandex search its Vlad the Genius's favorite and completely uncensored... LOL


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Got it working: 


On one computer was having royal pain getting Kindle for PC to work. It would not update my library, said no connection. BUT it would download books in my library that hadnt been downloaded. Turns out it was because I was experimenting with with my network connection and out of convenience chose a static nameserver 1.1.1.1 This is Cloudflare server, its free and super easy to remember but it censors out what it considers adult content. How updating my Kindle library is adult content, no idea. But I changed nameserver to 8.8.8.8 which is the free Google server. Bingo, my library could update.

Just on hunch this could be same problem, I tried loading Washington Examiner in FIREFOX with nameserver 8.8.8.8 And as you can see it worked. Everybody has gotten so many restrictions and gotchas anymore, you just never know. I assume original poster nameserver (usually assigned by their isp dynamically when you connect) doesnt like the Washington Examiner IP. Or perhaps Washington Examiner has fixed their problem and this is coincidental. I am too lazy to change back to 1.1.1.1 to find out.


----------



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Ok, guess there is time limit, wont let me edit. Curiosity finally got better of me, switched nameserver back to 1.1.1.1 and it loaded fine. So guess Washington Examiner got their act together and updated their certificate or whatever.


----------



## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

Thank you @HermitJohn It's working for me now as well.


----------



## Peterson (10 mo ago)

I'm now experiencing the same thing and I make sure the owner of the website knows about it all the time. I guess it's good when people do care about someone's "business" because not all the owners find out about an issue on their websites at once. Only those who use services such as https://linko.app/ can discover the errors in the site's code at once because these tools scan the health of the pages every minute.


----------

