A server certificate signed only by the owner of a website is called a self-signed certificate. Client applications, such as a web browser, that access HTTPS-secured resources on a website that uses a self-signed certificate will warn that the site could not be verified as a trusted website. The sections below explain how to suppress warnings from self-signed certificates.
To suppress warnings from a self-signed certificate, the domain component of the ArcGIS Server URL must match the Common Name property of the certificate. To learn how to set this property, see Best practices for server certificates.
For example, to connect to an ArcGIS Server site using the URL https://www.gisserver.domain.com:6443/arcgis/, the common name in the certificate should be www.gisserver.com.
To access the ArcGIS Server site on a local area network (LAN), you may choose to use a self-signed certificate with the common name gisserver to connect to the site using the URL https://gisserver.domain.com:6443/arcgis/.
Suppress warnings in web browsers
Google Chrome
When connecting to an ArcGIS Server site using a self-signed certificate, Chrome displays a warning that the connection is not private, and the https portion of the URL displays in red text with a strikethrough.
- Click Advanced beneath the warning message.
- Another message displays the domain you're accessing and the domain the security certificate claims to carry (such as *.mydomain.com). Ensure this is the domain of your self-signed certificate.
- Click the Proceed to... link beneath the message.
After completing these steps, the warning page will no longer appear for your server site, but the red text and Not secure message in the URL bar will persist.
Internet Explorer
When connecting to an ArcGIS Server site using a self-signed certificate, Microsoft Internet Explorer displays a warning that there is a problem with the website's security certificate. To suppress this warning, follow the instructions below:
Click Continue to this website (not recommended).
The address bar displays in red and a Certificate Error message is shown in the security status bar next to it.
Click Certificate Error in the security status bar.
A pop-up window indicates that the site's certificate is not trusted.
Click View certificates.
A new window displays information about the certificate used by the ArcGIS Server site.
View the certificate details and verify that it is a self-signed certificate created for your ArcGIS Server site.
On the General tab, click Install Certificate.
On the first page of the Certificate Import Wizard, click Next.
On the Certificate Store page, select Place all certificates in the following store, then click Browse.
Select Trusted Root Certification Authorities as the certificate store.
Click OK, then Next, then OK on the confirmation pop-up window, then Finish on the last page of the wizard.
The next time you access the ArcGIS Server site, Internet Explorer will not display a warning about the website's certificate. The address bar will no longer display in red and the security status bar will display a lock icon to indicate that communication is secured.
Mozilla Firefox
When connecting to an ArcGIS Server site using a self-signed certificate, Mozilla Firefox displays a warning that the connection is untrusted.
To suppress this warning, follow the instructions below:
- Click I Understand the Risks, then click Add Exception.
- On the Add Security Exception window, click View to review the certificate.
- Check Permanently store this exception, then click Confirm Security Exception.