E2BN Protex Web Filtering - SSL Certificate for Google Search FAQs

URGENT: New information from Google: the noSSL service will be withdrawn on June 23rd, 2015. Please ensure that you have installed the ProtexRootCA and that ProtexLocal users have completed the Free upgrade to version 4.0r.

Why are you making this change?

Until now Protex filtering has been able to content-check Google Searches. This means that inappropriate searches, results and images have been very effectively filtered. Google have now decided to remove their special site that allowed all vendors’ web filtering systems to content check the results page of Google searches.

Once removed all Google searches will have to use the HTTPS protocol. In order for Protex to continue to provide the same level of safety it will be necessary to “break-in” to the encrypted connection that HTTPS provides. All devices need to have a special E2BN Protex SSL Browser certificate installed to allow this to happen.

What would happen if E2BN did not make this change to the filtering system?

If we do not switch on secure content inspection the results returned by any Google search will be totally reliant on Google’s own definition of Safe-Search which only attempts to filter out the most explicit sexual content. E2BN and other school filtering providers do not feel that this is adequate protection for students.

Do I need to do anything about this?

All users of E2BN Protex Web filtering need to have the E2BN certificate installed on all devices that access the internet.

This includes schools, academies and Libraries that use the centralised Protex filtering via their Local Authority, that have ProtexLocal systems on site or are E2BN Direct schools.

Either you or your ICT support staff/provider will need to install the certificate NOW.

My school has ProtexLocal - what do we need to do?

Please install the certificate onto all your devices NOW. If your school has a ProtexLocal system you will also need to carry out a system upgrade to Protex version v4.0r. We will be contacting system admins and network managers at these schools to advise when to carry out the upgrade.

My school has E2BN Direct - what do we need to do?

Please install the certificate onto all your devices NOW. Your ProtexLocal system is managed by E2BN and we will be contacting your school to arrange a convenient time to carry out a system upgrade.

When is this going to happen?

Google have said they will be changing their systems on June 23rd, 2015. In order to protect users of E2BN Protex we will need to implement the secure content inspection before then and are advising all schools to install the E2BN SSL certificate NOW to avoid any problems with Google web services after we switch on https inspection.

How do I install the certificate?

Please see here - http://protex.e2bn.org/certs - where there are instructions for the major browsers and device types.

I don’t have anything to do with my schools IT - what should I do?

Please ask your IT Support provider to look at the information on this page: http://protex.e2bn.org/certs

If they need to ask E2BN a question about the process then please ask them to e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or ring 01462 834588.

What happens if the certificate is not installed?

After we switch on secure content inspection for Google Search devices that do not have the E2BN Protex SSL certificate installed will encounter problems when trying to use any Google services including web search. This may make Google services unusable until such time as the certificate is installed.

I’ve heard that E2BN Protex will be breaking the secure connection between my device and the internet. Is my personal data still safe?

Yes - the connection between your device and the filtering system is secure as is the connection from the filtering service to the website which will still use a secure, https connection. The decryption and content inspection takes place entirely within the filtering system so your data is not exposed to the outside world at any point.

I take my device home - will it still work outside school?

Yes the certificate is only used by your device when you are in school.