Did you know that there is a system in place to determine if people are who they say they are? This is usually done with a certification process, which is referred to as certificates.
What is a certificate?
A website certificate is a kind of digital ID issued by Certificate Authorities (CAs). This digital ID is the standard way that websites demonstrate authenticity. However, a certificate only confirms that a website is tied to a particular “domain” or organization, (not that the content or website is safe.) If you would like to read more on the topic then this blog covers the topic.
It is possible to get registered as a website with a similar name as another organization to try and fool different users.
For example, instead of being a part of adobe.com or Adobe Inc a website might identify itself as a part of ad0be.com or Ad0be lnc (that is an L not an I.)
How do we go about finding these certificates to determine a website’s authenticity?
How to go about finding the certificate of a website depends on your browser. So here are some of the ways to check with the following browsers.
Your web browser already checks if a certification is valid. You might want to see a certification if you are wanting to verify that you are using a website that is actually the website you think it is rather than a lookalike.
Chrome
- For Chrome the process is to search and click on the tune icon.
- Click on the Connection is secure button.
- Then click on the Certification is valid button.
- Google does not seem to have any support articles written about looking for the Certification Viewer as of 4/30/2025.
Edge
- For Edge the process is to search for the padlock icon in the search bar and click on it.
- Click on the Connection is secure button.
- Then click on an icon that looks like a document with a ribbon that is titled Show certificate.
- You can also check Microsoft’s own article about this topic.
Firefox
- For Firefox the process is to search for the padlock icon in the search bar and click on it.
- Click on the Connection secure button from the padlock menu.
- Click on More Information.
- A separate window should emerge and under the security tab there should be a View Certificate button to click.
- You can also check Mozilla’s own article on website certificates, which is a bit more technical but also has a tutorial on how to view a certificate.
Safari
- For Safari the process is to click the Safari tab.
- Click Connection Security Details from the dropdown menu.
- Select Show Certificate from the popup.
- You can also check Apple’s own article on website certificates, which can be a bit more technical but also has a tutorial on how to view a certificate.
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