Sometimes users experience certificate errors when using Omniscope Online or when opening a file from an HTTPS link.

These errors might take different forms in different situations, such as:

• SSLHandshakeException
  
• FailedDownloadException
  
• “Publisher authenticity can not be verified”
  

When launching an Omniscope Online (WebStart) application, which involves clicking a Launch button in a web page, or opening a JNLP file, these errors might happen before Omniscope itself starts.

Or, these errors might happen if you start Omniscope and choose File > Open file > Open from web.

Likely causes

• If the website is using a self-signed certificate, Omniscope cannot access the site. This is because the certificate cannot be verified or trusted.
  
• If the website is using a correctly signed certificate, the server may be missing one of the certificates in the certification chain.
  

To check and diagnose problems with the SSL certificate used for a particular site, use a free online SSL testing tool (e.g. http://www.sslshopper.com/ssl-checker.html), to make sure it is correctly installed, valid, trusted and doesn't give any errors to any of your users.

In case of using the suggested tool, if it recognises there is a problem with your server (e.g. a missing certificate in the chain) it suggests a solution (e.g. "The certificate is not trusted in all web browsers. You may need to install an Intermediate/chain certificate to link it to a trusted root certificate." - note that from the point of view of this tool, “browsers” includes applications like Omniscope which connect to an HTTPS site).

Your server administrators (SharePoint or other) should be able to take this information and resolve the problem easily.