When I try to get into the WD My Cloud desktop app, I get the following pop-up error, “A secure connection with this site cannot be verified.” Any ideas?
The warning message (shown below) is normal and are explained if one clicks the information links in the alert message box.
Once you understand why this is coming up check the Don’t show this message again box and I understand button to continue.
cat0w
USA
And some folks might question my action to completely disable internet access to MyCloud. One would think that WD would eventually take their heads ot of the sand and fix this alarming message.
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I agree with you. I have disabled internet access to both of my My Clouds. I know security is always an issue with any device accessing the internet and the My cloud is no different. But this warning message has been in existence for a long time and there is no proper WD certificate to fix it. Then add the latest My Cloud alert, Here , really makes me wonder how WD really takes interest in the devices they sell and the offerings they promote.
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@SectorGZ WD makes superb hard drives which I’ve used professionally in the 90’s. I have no doubt about their company security.
What I question is their focus on security wrt home products.
Headline:
“Access all your stuff from one safe place: Yours. KeepItcoming.”
This clearly implies that the My Cloud should be a secure product. And that notification that SectorGZ linked to suggests that’s the impression they want to give, too.
This is rather undermined by the fact that they can’t even be bothered to sort out a valid security certificate for their access mechanisms.
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One reason for the security certificate error is in part due to the very nature of how security certificates work. Generally a valid security certificate is tied to a specific web domain or IP address. There are methods one can use to create their own security certificate (like for use with SSL) but those certificates can be forged. Because of the way the communications is handled between the remote computer/device and the My Cloud, that communications doesn’t go through WD rather is a direct path. As such WD won’t have the ability to create a valid security certificate because it won’t know the IP Address or web address where the My Cloud is hosted. Hence the client gets the warning about the certificate not being valid or is questionable.
There are ways to deal with this certificate error. Often it involves adding the certificate to one’s web browser’s security section that deals with valid and invalid certificates. One of the warning screens in the WD software, if I remember right, explains how to bypass or limit the certificate error messages.
As to the general discussion on security of the My Cloud. Yes WD, and ALL other manufacturers of internet connected devices should take security much more seriously than many of them do. But due to the nature of the internet there is no such thing as a 100% secure device. If its connected to the internet there will always exist the possibility that the device can be hacked. Currently the remote access connections, other than FTP, to the My Cloud from the MyCloud.com web portal, the My Cloud software and mobile apps are supposedly done via SSL (or some form of SSL).
I’m perfectly satisfied with using MyCloud & MyBook as our home’s backup repository and shared data store. I have MyCloud connected to a gig switch & MyBook always connected to MyCloud, both are accessible to all my home’s devices (MAC, Win7, & Linux) both ethernet and WIFI. Port forwarding is completely blocked on my router.
@Bennor Your explanation about SSL, certificates,and IP addresses is precisely why WD is NOT ready for consumer marketing of Internet devices.
Other manufacturers of home devices that also connect to the internet have the same problem when using certificates. Its an inherent problem with certificates and why some devices have an option for the end user to install their own certificate or to create their own certificate. For example here is one way Synology deals with it.
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