Certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted. Error suddenly when loading into excel?

asked 2022-12-22T21:04:27.963+00:00
Abigayle Paulson 1 Reputation point

Hello all,

With my credentials I can use and manipulate a database in SQL management studio. However, when I try to load that data into excel or PowerBI I receive the error (this previously worked for months):
273430-error.png

SQL Server
SQL Server
A family of Microsoft relational database management and analysis systems for e-commerce, line-of-business, and data warehousing solutions.
8,462 questions
Excel Management
Excel Management
Excel: A family of Microsoft spreadsheet software with tools for analyzing, charting, and communicating data.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
1,333 questions

1 answer

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  1. answered 2022-12-22T22:51:56.913+00:00
    Erland Sommarskog 67,481 Reputation points Microsoft MVP

    This is due to that Microsoft have changed the defaults for encryption in their drivers, and the more applications that are using the new drivers, the more you will see this error.

    What it is about is that preferably the communication between SQL Server and the client should be encrypted, so that no one can tap the communication line and steal data.

    One way to encrypt the communication is that SQL Server itself creates a certificate which the client downloads as part of the login process. This is not that secure, because a man-in-the-middle could play SQL Server and send you the certificate. And steal the data.

    A better option is to install a certificate from a trusted certificate authority.

    The default in the past was to not require any trusted certificate, and this is what has been changed.

    The best way to address this is to ask your DBA to install a trusted certificate on the SQL Server instance you are using.

    The other option would be to request the communication not to be encrypted. This is an item on the connection string, but I can't seem to find any such option exposed in Excel.