Error message when trying to reach RedWeek site --- thoughts or help?

[theo]

I am a true Neanderthal and dunce when it comes to computer matters. That much clearly stated, I am just posting to share my belief that the Redweek.com site may currently (i.e., today) be unwittingly "hosting" malware or a virus of some sort.

I could not access RedWeek via Chrome this morning by the same bookmark route always utilized. This time, I got a strange Chrome error message "not a private connection" when I tried. Using Firefox next instead, I immediately got a very loud robo-audio "Internet Security Alert" warning message (with an accompanying toll free number on screen to call for "Windows support"). I am a computer dunce by any possible standard or measure, but am not quite stupid enough to make that call. I rebooted the computer, updated Firefiox and tried to duplicate the phenomenon. I am not disappointed that I could not do so. Still can't access RedWeek via Chrome, same error message.

It seems to me that the RedWeek site may have been hacked somehow today and that a virus or malware of some sort is currently being unwittingly "hosted" on the RedWeek site. It could of course be something entirely at my end, but anti-virus software detects no issues and I have no problems of any kind with any site except RedWeek. Just sharing, fwiw.

 

[isisdave]

No problem for me today. Do you have the "HTTPS Everywhere" plugin? Sometimes this plugin will cause that problem temporarily.

No complaints from Malwarebytes.

Clear cookies and try again?

 

[1st Class]

Could your laptop's clock need resetting? Check the date/time, reset then relaunch Chrome. We had a similar issue with Chrome and that fixed it.

 

[WalnutBaron]

I’m guessing it has to with a need for you to clear cookies, especially if you use the Redweek site often. I’m able to access it without an issue, so I doubt it’s a Redweek problem.

 

[Iggyearl]

I've been on Redweek a couple of times today. No problem. I always love to see the forum posts by DonP, Lance, and Ken1193. No issues for me. I use CCleaner, Spybot, and Malewarebytes. Never not gotten on Redweek.

 

[theo]

I've been on Redweek a couple of times today. No problem. I always love to see the forum posts by DonP, Lance, and Ken1193. No issues for me. I use CCleaner, Spybot, and Malewarebytes. Never not gotten on Redweek.

Thanks for the input folks. I too use (and have already run today) CCleaner, Spybot and Malwarebytes. Also ran my anit-virus software (twice). The problem still persists (with Chrome, but not with Firefox). I will try the other "fixes" suggested. It's not easy being stupid when it comes to computer matters; it takes real focus and resolve --- just ask me.

 

[Egret1986]

I've been on Redweek a couple of times today. No problem. I always love to see the forum posts by DonP, Lance, and Ken1193.

I've never read any of the forum posts on Redweek. Now, I'm intrigued. Apparently, there are standout posters.

 

[Iggyearl]

Redweek doesn't have the depth and variety of topics that Tug does. Many first time posters. But some of the regular "helpers" tend to have some insightful comments and humorous verbosity that you would find on Tug.

 

[theo]

I too have observed that same (apparently incurable) verbosity on RedWeek --- and elsewhere.

Efforts to raise the level of knowledge and / or discourse on the RedWeek forums seem never to make much progress.
It would not surprise me if, at some point, some RW contributors just simply stop trying to make that steeply uphill climb.

Back to my original issue, it persists. I have tried all of the above corrective suggestions (which I appreciated), but to no avail. Firefox to RW works fine, but no joy with Chrome. Accordingly, for the time being I will simply use Firefox for accessing RedWeek, although that loud audio "Internet Security Alert" first encountered using Firefox to RW yesterday (before I updated that browser) was a surprise, a bit troubling and obviously a "hack" of some kind; one I've not seen before or since. I'll try to get a far more computer-savvy friend to take a looksee when next he visits, providing him with still another opportunity to comment on my computer skills (or, more accurately, the impressive complete lack thereof).

 

["Roger"]

My computer expertise is at or below yours Theo, but I just tried signing in to Redweek using Chrome (my preferred browser) and encountered no alerts or difficulty. Perhaps this posting will help with the speculation of the more knowledgeable as to what your difficulty is.

 

[1st Class]

One more thing to try before qualified help arrives -- You could try to do a system restore to an earlier date when all was working well.

 

[mla]

I could not access RedWeek via Chrome this morning by the same bookmark route always utilized. This time, I got a strange Chrome error message "not a private connection" when I tried. Using Firefox next instead, I immediately got a very loud robo-audio "Internet Security Alert" warning message (with an accompanying toll free number on screen to call for "Windows support"). I am a computer dunce by any possible standard or measure, but am not quite stupid enough to make that call. I rebooted the computer, updated Firefiox and tried to duplicate the phenomenon. I am not disappointed that I could not do so. Still can't access RedWeek via Chrome, same error message.

It seems to me that the RedWeek site may have been hacked somehow today and that a virus or malware of some sort is currently being unwittingly "hosted" on the RedWeek site. It could of course be something entirely at my end, but anti-virus software detects no issues and I have no problems of any kind with any site except RedWeek. Just sharing, fwiw.

@theo, are you by chance using a pre-release version of Chrome?

Chrome is in the process of removing "trust" from Symantec-issued SSL certificates, which is what we have:
https://security.googleblog.com/2017/09/chromes-plan-to-distrust-symantec.html

It's part of Chrome version 66 which is to be released as a beta on March 15th, with a stable release around April 17. But there are "dev" versions of Chrome 66 available, and those will produce the "not a private connection" error you saw above.

We're in the process of getting a new cert issued, so soon this should be moot.

The other alert you got from Firefox I have no idea about though. This is the first I've heard of that one.

Best,

Maurice