Access via SSL

Secure connections

Some Stud.IP systems are set-up such that secure access (SSL/https) is provided. Secure connections have the advantage that the user’s entries (e.g. Name and Password) cannot be intercepted and read by anyone. To achieve this, the web browser must check whether the connection to Stud.IP server is trustworthy and compare the so-called certificates. Unfortunately, neither computer systems nor web browsers always have all of the certificates required for this and thus issue appropriate warnings (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. The warning given by Mozilla Firefox 3 web browser for an unknown certificate.

Rectification of the problem

There are two possibilities for correcting the problem:

1. You allow the web browser to continue despite the invalid (or in this case unknown) certificate. Naturally, this entails a certain risk because, if you are not connected to the Stud.IP server as you believe, you do not receive any additional warning. Instructions for the example of “Firefox 3” are to be given in the following.
2. It would be better to enquire via the relevant web pages of the organisation that administers your Stud.IP installation as to which certificate you need and how you install it. You will find a link list with the instructions of diverse organisations in the following. If you do not find the relevant information for your local Stud.IP, send a request via email to the support team of your Stud.IP installation. Proceed to the Start page of your Stud.IP installation and if you do not find the email address there, search for the Legal details or a contact address. Incidentally, you can easily reach the respective Start page via www.studip.de.

Instructions for the installation of the certificate

• Computer centre, University of Osnabruck
• University of Göttingen for the example of “Flexnow”, but is also applicable to Stud.IP
• University of Trier

Temporary acceptance of an unverified certificate

Some web browsers allow you to continue despite a certificate error or to save an exception clause. For Firefox 3 this is as follows:

Fig. 2. After clicking on “Or you can add an exemption...“ (see Fig. 1), you must initially “Download the certificate” and can then confirm the “Security exemption”. You should not save this exemption permanently, but rather obtain the correct certificate (see above).