When you try to connect to a Web site that uses a Server
Gated Cryptography (SGC) certificate that is issued by Thawte for strong
encryption, you may receive the following error message:
The page cannot be displayed.
Server Gated Cryptography (SGC) is a mechanism that
permitted Web browsing software to use strong (128-bit) SSL encryption.
Typically, SGC is included with products that were released before the lifting
of export controls on strong encryption. The United States government imposed
constraints on software vendors. Because of these constraints, vendors could
enable SGC capabilities only for certification authorities (CAs) who agreed to
issue certificates that use SGC only to authorized organizations. For example,
vendors could enable SGC capabilities for CAs who agreed to issue certificates
only to financial institutions.
Microsoft issued a cross certificate
to Thawte to enable Thawte's SGC capability. This cross certificate expired on
July 16, 2004. Therefore, sites that are configured with Thawte SGC
certificates cannot enable older clients that have standard (40 or 56 bit)
encryption to use strong SSL encryption. Clients that have the High Encryption
Pack already installed are not affected.
Microsoft and other vendors
stopped shipping products that have standard encryption shortly after the U.S.
lifted its export restrictions in early 2000. By default, these products
support strong encryption and do not depend on sites to be configured with SGC
certificates for strong SSL encryption.
Windows 2000
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest
service pack for Microsoft Windows 2000. For additional information, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
260910Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=260910/
)
How to obtain the latest Windows 2000 service pack
Windows NT 4.0
To resolve this problem, obtain the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Security Rollup Package.
For additional information, click
the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
299444Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=299444/
)
Post-Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a Security Rollup Package (SRP)
Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
To resolve this problem, obtain the Microsoft Windows NT Server
4.0, Terminal Server Edition, Security Rollup Package (SRP).
For additional information,
click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
317636Â
(http://kbalertz.com/Feedback.aspx?kbNumber=317636/
)
Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition, Security Rollup Package
Windows 98
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest version of Microsoft
Internet Explorer. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
Alternatively, you may install the High Encryption Pack for older
versions of Internet Explorer. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web
site:
However, we strongly recommend that you install the latest
version of Internet Explorer because it contains features and services that
help protect your Web browsing experience.
Microsoft
has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed
in the "Applies to" section.