If you have a web page and it is one of those that appear preceded by https , you are interested in knowing this. Starting with the next Chrome 66 version of Google's browser, which will be available on April 17, some websites will be marked by the browser as insecure. Specifically, all those who have installed Symantec SSL / TLS certificates issued before June 1, 2016 to opt for a secure server. Those issued by Symantec-owned brands such as Verisign, Thawte and Equifax will also be included. Certificates are used to transmit encrypted content through the secure “https” protocol. Otherwise, the pages are more exposed to attacks, especially those of the Man in The Middle type that seek to take control of them.
This means that all website owners who are currently using Symantec certificates issued before that date can see a drop in their visitor traffic. And it is that users who try to access your website will not see its content at first. What they will see on their screens will be a message on your web page as of Chrome 66 version. This will warn users that the connection is not secure or private , showing them an exit button that will tell them to return to security . Something that, of course, little invites you to continue browsing these websites.
Google has already released a first preview version of Chrome 66 (the so-called Canary version) and will launch the first beta on March 15. After that date, those websites that have the indicated certificates installed will begin to experience failures. Also, starting with Chrome 70, all websites with SSL / TLS certificates that Symantec issued before June 1, 2016 will be affected in the same way. Google will release the first preview version of Chrome 70 on July 20.
How to check if your website will be affected by this change
As you can see in the screenshot above, the error is described as NET :: ERR_CERT_SYMANTEC_LEGACY, which means that your site is using a legacy Symantec certificate that is no longer supported. To check if your website will be affected by this change, you can visit this page and enter the name of your website in the box that indicates Enter your domain name (in English, enter your domain name). In the event that your website is affected, the page will notify you through a message. Of course, make sure to enter the prefix // with the slashes before the domain.
An alternative way to check if your website will have problems is to download the “Canary” version of Chrome and visit their website. Next, check Chrome DevTools for any warning messages related to your SSL / TLS certificate. You can find more information on the official Google blog.