Preventing Windows from prompting about security risks about downloading MAPEO

[rudokemper]

Describe the idea
Currently, when downloading MAPEO on Windows, the browser prompts the user with a notification that MAPEO may harm the system, and the way to continue downloading MAPEO anyway is a little obscure -- one has to click the link "Conservar de todos modos" (Save Anyway) in the screenshot below.

Could there be a way to update our certificate that we use to sign Mapeo, to guarantee trust by Windows?

What's your role? Where and how do you currently use the application?
I'm on the programs team with Digital Democracy, and I recently encountered this issue with one of our partners, who encountered the issue. (The above screenshot is from their laptop directly.)

[gmaclennan]

This is an issue with Microsoft code signing certificates. According to this Stackoverflow post, when you have a "standard" code signing certificate, then this warning will show until "enough" users have installed and used you app, so that you gain a reputation. This reputation can be lost if the certificate is renewed. A workaround is to use an "EV" (Extended Validation) certificate, which is trusted immediately.

We currently sign with a standard certificate. It costs $75 per year. An EV certificate costs $280 per year. Our current certificate is due for renewal later this year.

Couple of options:

• Hope that as more users use Mapeo, then this warning will go away (but might persist on computers that are never online, to update their trusted list)
• Purchase the EV certificate.

[ximenabb]

Note to look into in Jan/Feb 2022