How to fix “Safari can’t establish a secure connection” error on Mac

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This article covers effective methods to stop the “Safari can’t establish a secure connection” warning page from appearing in the web browser on Mac.

What is the “Safari can’t establish a secure connection to the server” alert?

Apple has always tried to stay ahead of the security and privacy game through monolithic protection features built into its operating systems. It is probably the most successful across the board in wheedling dubious software out of its official app marketplaces so that the lack of vigilance on the user’s part doesn’t lead to infection or scams. Executing suspicious or crudely coded programs on a Mac is largely a no-go due to rigid Notarization controls which, at the very least, generate extra alerts as users try to open such samples. XProtect, the famous anti-malware instrument, isn’t embodied in a specific UI, but it is constantly on the lookout for applications whose signatures match known attributes of adware, spyware, Trojans, and other mainstream threats. This is only a fraction of Apple’s remarkable defensive modules.

Safari fits this context fully. When a user is trying to load a site that doesn’t follow proper data encryption practices, the browser will display an alert saying it can’t open the page. The reason indicated on this error screen is as follows: “Safari can’t establish a secure connection to the server”. Let’s see what causes this warning and figure out what to do about it.

The primary reason for this blocking lies in the browser’s countermeasures for the theft of users’ sensitive data as they interact with websites. The use of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) technology, which is an advanced replacement for the better-known Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, is the gold standard in the present-day Internet ecosystem. It makes a difference because it ensures that all information exchanged between one’s browser and a visited site is end-to-end encrypted. Digital certificates issued by certificate authorities (CAs) serve as proof of proper implementation of this mechanism.

If a malicious actor finds a way to intercept data that’s traveling back and forth between a user and a web page, TLS keeps these details unintelligible and makes them worthless for the third party. This way, things like passwords and personally identifiable information (PII) being entered cannot be mishandled. As is the case with any popular browser, Safari has effective algorithms in place to identify weak encryption or expired digital certificates, let alone instances where certificates are missing. Whenever a person tries to load such a site, the “Safari can’t establish a secure connection to the server” will appear.

However, sometimes the browser blocks users from going to well-known Internet resources as if their privacy techniques were inappropriate. Social networks, trusted news outlets, and other reputable sites may end up being inaccessible all of a sudden. Some people try clearing caches, history, and other website data, to no avail – the error page persists regardless. It turns out that the root causes for this predicament may go beyond crude traffic encryption, and they are often isolated to a specific Mac. Certain DNS server configurations, inconsistencies in the use of the IPv6 protocol, system clock inaccuracies, overprotection by antivirus software, or even buggy Safari activity after another update – all these may become catalysts for the problem. That said, if a specific site is getting the red light from the browser and won’t load because “Safari can’t establish a secure connection” to its server, be sure to try the fixes below.