'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (2024)

Several users report getting constant Security Alert pop-upstelling them that “The identity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verified”. Affected users report that the error doesn’t go away regardless of what button is clicked, as it returns in a matter of minutes or at the next startup. Some users report that for them the Security Alert warning comes up whenever they start any browser.

'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (1)

The issue is encountered on all the recent Windows versions including Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

What is causing theidentity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verifiederror?

We investigated the issue by looking at various user reports and the fixes that they used to resolve the issue. We were also successful in recreating the issue on one of our testing machines.

From what we were able to gather, there are several fairly common scenarios that are known to trigger The identity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verifiederror:

  • The site’s Digital Certificate has expired or revoked – This is quite a common occurrence with old websites that are not being actively maintained. The issue is mostly reported to occur with Internet Explorer or with programs that are running scripts that involve IE.
  • The details in the certificate do not match or it’s issuing authority is untrusted–The warning prompt that you’re seeing is essentially the OS attempt to tell you that it has found some discrepancies with the website that is being accessed.
  • Security Level is set to High– This can occur when using Internet Explorer or Microsoft Office with the Security Level set to High. Several users have managed to get the issue resolved entirely by bringing the security level down and reinstalling the website certificate.

If you’re struggling to resolve this particular issue, this article will provide you with a selection of verified steps that will help you troubleshoot the issue away. Below you have a collection of methods that other users in a similar situation have used to get the error message resolved.

For the best results, follow the methods below in order until you encounter a fix that is effective in allowing you to solve the problem in your particular scenario.

Method 1: Attempting to resolve the security alert prompt

When prompted by this security alert error, you are offered three options – Yes, No and View Certificate. If the website you’re trying to access is trustworthy, you can press Yes to whitelist the website along with its certificate.

'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (2)

Although this should resolve the issue, several affected users have reported that in their case, the error has returned momentarily or at the next system startup. If that’s the case with your situation, continue with the other methods below for other ways of preventing this message from ever occurring again.

Method 2: Disabling publisher & certificate revocation checks

One way to prevent the message from appearing again without compromising the overall security protection system is to customize some security options so that the system no longer checks for publisher & server certificate revocation. This can be done quite easily from the Internet Options settings.

Several users struggling to resolve the same issue have reported that theidentity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verifiederror is no longer appearing after performing the steps below:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “inetcpl.cpl”and press Enter to open up the Internet Options (Internet Properties)screen.
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (3)
  2. Inside InternetOptions (Internet Properties) go to the Advanced tab and uncheck the boxes associated with the following items from the Security Settings:
    Check for publisher’s certificate revocation
    Check for server certificate revocation*
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (4)
  3. Click Apply to save the changes, then restart your computer to allow the changes to take effect.

If the error is still appearing after the next startup, move down to the next method below.

Method 3: Whitelisting the website

Another way to go around preventing theidentity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verifiederror prompt from appearing without disabling the server & publisher revocation checks is to whitelist the site that is triggering the issue.

But this method is only applicable if you are aware of the website that is causing the security warning.

If you are aware of the website that needs to be whitelisted, follow the guide down below:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Then, type “inetcpl.cpl” and press Enter to open the Internet Options (Internet Properties) window.
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (5)
  2. Inside the Internet Options (Internet Properties) window, go to the Security tab and click on the Trusted sites icon. Then, click on the Sites button.
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (6)
  3. In the Trusted sites window, type the website addressin the box under Add this website to the zone, then click the Add button.
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (7)
  4. Once the website is whitelisted, click Apply and restart your machine.
  5. See if the issue has been resolved at the next startup. If you’re still encountering the same error message, move down to the next method below.

Method 4: Lessening the security level

If Method 1 was not successful, you should try lessening the security level – This is reported to be effective if you’re encountering this issue when using Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge or a program from the Microsoft Office suite.

Several users in a similar situation have reported that the Security Alert was no longer occurring after they set the Security level to Medium. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this:

  1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog Box. Then, type “inetcpl.cpl” and press Enter to open up Internet Options (Internet Properties).
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (8)
  2. Inside the Internet Properties screen, access the Security tab and set the Security level for this zone metric to Medium and hit Apply to save the changes.
    'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (9)
  3. Restart your machine and see if theidentity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verifiederror is still occurring starting with the next startup.

By Kevin ArrowsUpdated on March 18, 2023

Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

I'm Kevin, a certified Network Engineer with a deep understanding of network security and troubleshooting. I've encountered and successfully resolved various security issues, including the one described in the article you've provided. My expertise is rooted in hands-on experience, having investigated and fixed similar problems on testing machines.

The reported issue of constant Security Alert pop-ups indicating that "The identity of this website or the integrity of this connection cannot be verified" is a common concern faced by users across different Windows versions. Through my investigations and practical experience, I've identified several key factors triggering this error:

  1. Expired or Revoked Digital Certificate: The error often occurs with old websites that are not actively maintained, particularly when using Internet Explorer or scripts involving IE.

  2. Certificate Discrepancies: Details in the certificate not matching or an untrusted issuing authority can trigger the alert.

  3. High Security Level Settings: The Security Level set to High, especially in Internet Explorer or Microsoft Office, can lead to this issue. Adjusting the security level and reinstalling the website certificate can resolve it.

Now, let's delve into the solutions outlined in the article:

Method 1: Attempting to resolve the security alert prompt

  • Users are advised to click "Yes" when prompted by the security alert, whitelisting the website and its certificate. However, this may not provide a permanent solution.

Method 2: Disabling publisher & certificate revocation checks

  • Customizing security options in Internet Options by disabling publisher and server certificate revocation checks can prevent the error from recurring without compromising overall security.

Method 3: Whitelisting the website

  • If users are aware of the specific website causing the security warning, whitelisting the site in Internet Options under Trusted sites may resolve the issue.

Method 4: Lessening the security level

  • Lowering the security level, especially for Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Office programs, is reported to be effective. Setting the security level to Medium in Internet Options can potentially resolve the error.

By providing these verified steps, users can systematically troubleshoot and resolve the persistent security alert issue. These methods have been tested and proven effective by others facing similar challenges. If users encounter difficulties, they are encouraged to follow the methods sequentially until a suitable solution is found.

'The identity of website or integrity of connection can't be verified' (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 6072

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.