This September 30th will be the World Wide Web

The security change in Internet services will “darken” a large number of electronic devices on September 30. This way, cell phones, video game consoles, smart TVs and computers will no longer enjoy connecting to the Internet.

On that day, the root certificates of Lets Encrypt, which supports hundreds of active devices, can be securely connected to the Internet, expiring after 20 years of their useful life. In this regard, security researcher Scott Helme predicts that when the popular root certificate expires, almost 30% of Android phones will be left permanently without an internet connection.

Which devices will be activated

• All Mac systems running MacOS 10.12.0 or earlier.
• iPhone and iPod iOS 9 or earlier.
• Firmware version 5.00 or earlier PS3 consoles.
• Runs on Windows XP Service Pack 2 or earlier.
• Cell phones with models that include Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread.

How to avoid it

If you have any of the devices mentioned, the simplest recommended solution is to upgrade your system to the latest version. However, this is not possible in all cases. On the PS3, for example, its firmware version only reaches 4.88. Sony released this update in June 2021, but in this case its specifications do not mention that it is preparing the console for security certification change.

Internet-connected appliances, smart TVs, smart refrigerators and some routers are another problem. If the devices were purchased before 2017 and no recent updates are available, they are likely to be affected by the resistor.

In these cases, another possible solution is to manually download the latest firmware and install it on the devices via the USB port.