OAO Bank24.ru’s e-banking security certificate expired recently. Starting Friday, January 21, 2011, all of the bank’s e-users could only see a message notifying them that the security certificate was invalid when they tried to open i.bank24.ru service.

‘i.bank24.ru has been using an invalid security certificate. The service expired on January 21, 2011,’ the message reads.

According to the customer manual, using e-banking services without a valid certificate is not totally safe. However, the bank’s system still suggests that the users keep on performing the transaction by clicking a button that says, You can add an exception… The bank’s online consultant suggests the same thing.

‘We are currently working on having our certificate replaced with a new one. The troubling message will be soon removed, and while this is being done, you can go on using the service as usual. To start working, you just have to press the Continue button,’ says Bank24.ru’s employee Olga Kirillova.

The bank’s management has not provided any official comments so far. The bank’s official website also lacks any information or customer instructions.