API for R data retrieval not working

Question

Recently my API for data retrieval for R stopped working, I get an error message:

schannel: next InitializeSecurityContext failed: SEC_E_ILLEGAL_MESSAGE (0x80090326) - This error usually occurs when a fatal SSL/TLS alert is received (e.g. handshake failed).

Other threads online suggest that this is something on the server end - does anyone know how I can fix it?

The API was working fine two days ago, and making new ones does not help.

Answer 1

We have reduced the number of Cipher Suites used for SSL encryption (HTTPS) in order not to allow for weak data encryption any more. According to the error message, this is the most likely cause of the error message.

The issue may be caused by your operation system (which one are you using) or by R (which R version are you using? Are you using RStudio or something like that?)

Let's go through that step by step, and let's start with the operating system: There is a URL in the API code. What happens if you put that URL in the addresslist of your browser? Do you receive an R script or an error message?

Comments

I am using Windows 7, and R version 4.0.0. I am using RStudio, but I get the same error through the console as well.

I can download both the script and the data with the API through my browser without any errors.

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Windows 7 has not been supported by Microsoft for a (long) while. I assume that you are using a modern browser that supports state-of-the-art encryption, while Windows 7 does not. As R won't bring along its own encryption libraries, R is stuck with an outdated interface from Windows 7.

Unfortunaltely, there is no way we could provide an insecure interface without bringing all the other users at risk. Therefore, you will have to use the R import with two files.