Why is My Python Script Failing to Verify SSL Certificates?

Troubleshooting Certificate Verification Failure: Understanding SSL and Certificates

When attempting to retrieve data from websites using Python's urllib.request package, you may encounter an error stating "certificate verify failed: unable to get local issuer certificate." This issue arises when your system lacks the necessary SSL certificates to validate the website's authenticity.

How SSL Works

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a protocol that encrypts communication between a client and a server. To establish a secure connection, the server presents a signed certificate issued by a trusted authority, known as a Certificate Authority (CA).

Certifi and Install Certificates.command

One solution to resolve the certificate verification failure is to install Python's Certifi package, a collection of trusted CA certificates. Alternatively, you can run the "Install Certificates.command" utility provided in Mac OS High Sierra.

Both methods add trusted CA certificates to your system, allowing your Python script to verify the website's certificate during SSL communication.

Recommendations for Further Learning

To enhance your knowledge of SSL, certificates, and security:

• Mozilla Developer Network (MDN): https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Certificate_authority
• Transport Layer Security (TLS) Explained: https://blog.cloudflare.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-tls/
• OpenSSL User Guide: https://www.openssl.org/docs/manmaster/
• Python's SSL Certificate Verification in Requests Library: https://requests.readthedocs.io/en/latest/user/advanced/#ssl-cert-verification

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