News > Internet & Security Expiring Security Certificate May Affect Older Devices Device may lose internet connectivity By Cesar Cadenas Cesar Cadenas Twitter Writer California State University - Long Beach Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry since 2016 on a variety of topics like cryptocurrency, video games, the latest gadgets, and much more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 30, 2021 01:48PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Twitter University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Internet & Security Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming The internet connection on several older tech devices may stop working on Thursday, as an essential digital certificate required to access websites is set to expire. A digital certificate encrypts and protects the internet connection between a device and a website. Without one, a website won't be able to "trust" a device and subsequently would prevent it from connecting. Devices released before 2017 are most likely to be affected, especially if they never got a firmware update; however, fixes exist, according to Tom's Guide. Hill Street Studios/Getty Images If this issue isn't fixed, the apps and services that require an internet connection will not work on these older devices. The certificate in question is known as the IdentTrust DST Root CA X3, and it's issued by Let's Encrypt, a non-profit organization that is one of the largest issuers of these digital certificates. The IdentTrust DST certificate is so widespread that its expiration may cause major connection problems with various devices. Some affected devices include iPhones/iPads running iOS 9 or older, old PCs running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or older, PlayStation 4 consoles with firmware earlier than the 5.00 version, and smart home devices not up to date. The full list can be found on Let's Encrypt's website. Android owners have nothing to worry about, since Let's Encrypt extended the certificate expiration date until September 2024. Knk Phi Prasan Kha Phibuly/EyeEm/Getty Images As for everyone else, it’s strongly recommended that users upgrade their devices by downloading the latest firmware update. If a user cannot upgrade their Mac, PC, or iPhone, Tom’s Guide recommends downloading the Firefox web browser. Firefox doesn’t use a device’s security certificate, as the web browser uses its own, so users can utilize it until they download the update and fix the issue. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit