Older Browsers and Security

This message was added Wednesday 10th November 2021

Update Your Browser!

I recently had a client who called up saying their website was `not secure`.  

We thought this was a bit strange, because it was a website we had definitely made secure, so this was little strange.  I asked the client to sent a screenshot.  It turns out that he was using a very old browser on an old platform, on a Mac.  When we checked with our support team they said that the later security certificates were not valid for the ancient browser he was using. 

The problem with the older Macs is that they are quite expensive and clients are therefore less likely to renew them.  We worked around it, in this case, by issuing a different type of certificate, that would have backward compatibility.  However, in real terms the older certificates are less secure than modern certificates.  The problem is that modern certificates however, may not work with older browsers.  

The thinking, then, for many people is that this means that their website is less secure with the modern browser but in fact, this is the opposite. The older secure certificate will do, as it is encrypts the traffic between the website and your browser. But - and its a big BUT... If you are using a very old browser, then whatever certificate you use will give you issues with hackers etc, therefore it does make sense to upgrade your browser. 

As a business, we always try to have backwards compatibility with any older browsers our clients have, but there comes a point when, for the security of the website or the user`s own security, we will have to say goodbye to some of the ancient browsers, which are getting a bit too long in the tooth to be safe.  So if your browser is more than seven years old, this could start to cause problems.

If you have any concerns about the above, don`t hesitate to consult us.  We always are open to free consultations to discuss any issues you have.