What is HTTPS? HTTPS uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to encrypt and decrypt user page requests over the internet. This helps keep the information that you enter into your browser private as it travels through the internet. LEARN supports HTTPS fully.

LEARN was recently upgraded to a new version of D2L Brightspace – 10.6.3. A side effect of this upgrade is that our existing implementation of HTTPS stopped working properly. Previously HTTPS was enforced only on the login page in order to protect users’ login credentials. When users entered LEARN HTTPS became optional. Currently if we set the system to enforce HTTPS on the login page users are unable to login properly. It is particularly critical that logins to LEARN are done through HTTPS to protect users’ login credentials.

D2L is working on the problem, but if a solution isn’t found soon we are going to have to force HTTPS on throughout LEARN. This may have some side effects if courses are embedding insecure content. If the provider of content that’s been embedded in LEARN doesn’t support HTTPS it will not work when HTTPS is enforced. In most cases external content providers already support secure connections. For example, video providers like YouTube, Vimeo, and the College’s ShareStream video service all support HTTPS natively.

Even if we fix the current problem with HTTPS logins, we are going to be turning on HTTPS only in the fall prior to LEARN migrating to a cloud service.

Check if Your Course Is Affected

If you want to see what your course will look like when we switch over to HTTPS you can do this now. If you type https:// before the learn.rrc.ca address in your URL bar (https://learn.rrc.ca) you will be able to navigate through LEARN using a secure connection. If you have trouble seeing your content when accessing LEARN through HTTPS please contact us at learn@rrc.ca.