Instagram users who attempted to access the social network this afternoon were met with a rather unsettling message warning them that their connection wasn’t secure. Instagram uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which is denoted by “https” in the browser’s address bar, to create a secure connection between the user and the network’s servers. Sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, login credentials, and messages, can be sent and received using this type of encryption without worrying about someone eavesdropping.
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Instagram apparently forgot that websites using SSL are typically accredited for one year before they require renewal by a variety of official certification authorities (CAs).
Owen Williams of The Next Web discovered the issue when he tried to access the Instagram website and was informed that their connection wasn’t private. Williams dug a little deeper and found that the issue was caused by an SSL certificate that had expired.
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Nearly all browsers will automatically block a website and warn users about the risks of a potentially insecure connection or an expired certificate if they attempt to access a web page with an expired certificate.
However, not before dozens of users had complained about the issue on Twitter, the issue has since been fixed.
So, just in case, remember to make a note in your calendar for 12 months from now when you renew your SSL license.
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