If you use VetBact via https (encrypted connection) instead of http (unencrypted), you have probably noticed that your browser warns that the website is not secure. The reason for this is that our so-called SSL certificate has expired. It was valid until 15 May, 2026. After that date, most browsers warn that the site cannot be considered secure because it cannot be verified using a valid certificate.
However, apart from the expired certificate not much has changed in terms of website security and since the site still does not contain sensitive information you can continue to use the site if the warnings don’t make you feel uncomfortable.
If you decide to keep using VetBact (and/or AgriMyc) despite the warnings, there are essentially two ways to deal with the warnings:
- Ask the browser to make an exception for this site. Most browsers allow you to do this, for example by clicking on a link called “Advanced” or something similar (depending on the browser). After that, your browser should trust this website and stop showing the warnings.
- Use the website in unencrypted mode, i.e. by changing the URL from https://www.vetbact.org to http://www.vetbact.org (i.e. change https to http).
Encrypted traffic with https is usually recommended these days. According to Wikipedia, the reasons for using the https protocol include protecting page authenticity, secure accounts, and to keep user communications, identity, and web browsing private. However, it could be argued that it is not a major problem to temporarily use the old unencrypted http protocol which used to be the standard for much of the web’s history.
We have reported the problem to our IT department and requested that they renew the SSL certificates ASAP. If you feel uncomfortable using a website that makes your browser throw security warnings, do feel free to use other resources for now and we welcome you back when this issue has been resolved.
