Security Certificate

[annmsolomon]

I am trying to access

https://chart.donhr.navy.mil/

and keep getting an error that the certificate was not issued by a trusted authority. I have contacted the website and have been assured that the certificate is valid (issued by: DOD CA-13, from 2007-03-05 to 210-03-05). I installed the certificate via the Vista popup window but still get the error. I had no problem visiting this site before I purchased this laptop with Vista Home Premium. Any ideas?

 

[linney]

Maybe Microsoft is slow in adding the Certificate?

Microsoft root certificate program members (January 2008)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931125

For what it is worth, that site causes the warning on this machine too. It is not something that I worry too much about as it only happens once in a blue moon, other than being a bit more alert when viewing the site concerned.

While you wait for the certification to go through, if you feel the site is OK and to me it looks OK, you could try adding it to your Trusted Sites to see if that stops any warning?

 

[smah]

Linney is on the right track. The warning is because the DOD root certificate is not a MS root certificate program member.

Using the Certification path tab, you can view the path from the selected certificate to the certification authorities that issue the certificate.

Before it trusts a certificate, this version of Windows must verify that the certificate comes from a trusted source. This verification process is called path validation.

Path validation involves processing public key certificates and their issuer certificates in a hierarchical fashion until the certificate chain terminates at a trusted, self-signed certificate. Typically, this is a root CA certificate. If there is a problem with one of the certificates in the path, or if it cannot find a certificate, the certification path is considered a non-trusted certification path.

A typical certification path includes a root certificate and one or more intermediate certificates. By clicking View Certificate, you can also learn more about the certificates for each certification authority in the path.

I just attempted to set the top level DOD as a trusted root certificate athority using a combination of the methods from:

http://msmvps.com/blogs/cgross/arch...2C00_-IE7-and-SBS-Self_2D00_Signed-Certs.aspx

http://www.rm.com/Support/TechnicalArticle.asp?cref=TEC1186058

But it does not seem to have worked, so I'm out of ideas other than getting the DOD to join up with MS member list ;-)

 

[annmsolomon]

Thanks, linney and smah, for your feedback. I'm quite certain that the DOD is aware of the MS certification process and I don't intend to get caught up in a street fight between those two bullies. It's just so frustrating because I was able to use the site before purchasing a Vista system. Unless somebody else has any ideas, I guess I'll just take my ball and go home.

 

[BadBigBen]

Unless somebody else has any ideas, I guess I'll just take my ball and go home.

test I've done, IE does exactly as you describe, it keeps bonking that the certificate is from an untrusted site...

FireFox, happily accepts the cert and does not bother you any further about it...

to sum it up, install the latest FireFox and use it instead of IE...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[linney]

You can look at the certificate options in IE via Tools/ Internet Options/ Advanced/ Settings/ Security

 

[BadBigBen]

Linney,

I have even gone and exported the cert, then imported it in the Trusted Vendors and Trusted Certificates, it confirms the import but does not list it under the Trusted Certificates, it is listed under Trusted Vendors...

it will still behave as mentioned...




Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[smah]

FWIW, Win98 using IE6, XP using IE6, IE7, IE8, Opera9.5, Safari3 & Vista using IE7, FF3 all give variations of the same warning message for the same reason - the top level, DOD certificate is not a trusted Certificate Authority.