diff --git a/common/errorCodes.js b/common/errorCodes.js
index 071f4dd0..6ad74822 100644
--- a/common/errorCodes.js
+++ b/common/errorCodes.js
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ module.exports = {
 	ERR_MISSING_PASSPHRASE: 'ERR_MISSING_PASSPHRASE',
 	ERR_OSSL_BAD_DECRYPT: 'ERR_OSSL_BAD_DECRYPT',
 	ERR_INVALID_USERNAME: '390144',
+	ERR_INVALID_KEY_FILE: 'ERR_INVALID_KEY_FILE',
 };
diff --git a/common/errorMessages.js b/common/errorMessages.js
index f8fe38d2..13e8a06c 100644
--- a/common/errorMessages.js
+++ b/common/errorMessages.js
@@ -7,4 +7,6 @@ module.exports = {
 		'Native Okta auth doesn\'t support MFA. Please, use the "Identity Provider SSO (via external browser)" auth instead',
 	KEY_PAIR_PASSPHRASE_ERROR: 'Please check that the passphrase is provided and matches the key.',
 	KEY_PAIR_USERNAME_ERROR: 'Incorrect username was specified.',
+	KEY_PAIR_INVALID_FILE_ERROR:
+		"The selected file is not a valid key. Please choose a valid key file, check it's passphrase and try again.",
 };
diff --git a/common/getKeyPairConnectionErrorMessageByCode.js b/common/getKeyPairConnectionErrorMessageByCode.js
index 8c26de0b..b5f553bf 100644
--- a/common/getKeyPairConnectionErrorMessageByCode.js
+++ b/common/getKeyPairConnectionErrorMessageByCode.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const ERROR_CODE_TO_MESSAGE = {
 	[errorCodes.ERR_MISSING_PASSPHRASE]: errorMessages.KEY_PAIR_PASSPHRASE_ERROR,
 	[errorCodes.ERR_OSSL_BAD_DECRYPT]: errorMessages.KEY_PAIR_PASSPHRASE_ERROR,
 	[errorCodes.ERR_INVALID_USERNAME]: errorMessages.KEY_PAIR_USERNAME_ERROR,
+	[errorCodes.ERR_INVALID_KEY_FILE]: errorMessages.KEY_PAIR_INVALID_FILE_ERROR,
 };
 
 const getKeyPairConnectionErrorMessageByCode = code => ERROR_CODE_TO_MESSAGE[code];
diff --git a/reverse_engineering/connection_settings_modal/connectionSettingsModalConfig.json b/reverse_engineering/connection_settings_modal/connectionSettingsModalConfig.json
index 409224ac..eb2552af 100644
--- a/reverse_engineering/connection_settings_modal/connectionSettingsModalConfig.json
+++ b/reverse_engineering/connection_settings_modal/connectionSettingsModalConfig.json
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@
 				"inputKeyword": "privateKeyPath",
 				"inputType": "file",
 				"inputPlaceholder": "Private Key",
-				"extensions": ["p8"],
+				"extensions": ["p8", "pem", "cert", "crt"],
 				"dependency": {
 					"key": "authType",
 					"value": ["keyPair"]
diff --git a/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/connectionError.js b/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/connectionError.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46eeada0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/connectionError.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+class ConnectionError extends Error {
+	code;
+
+	constructor(message, code) {
+		super(message);
+		this.code = code;
+	}
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+	ConnectionError,
+};
diff --git a/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/keyPairConnection.js b/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/keyPairConnection.js
index 2bd3b278..45df4f65 100644
--- a/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/keyPairConnection.js
+++ b/reverse_engineering/helpers/connections/keyPairConnection.js
@@ -1,6 +1,21 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
+const crypto = require('crypto');
 const { connectWithTimeout } = require('./connection.js');
+const errorCodes = require('../../../common/errorCodes.js');
+const errorMessages = require('../../../common/errorMessages.js');
+const { ConnectionError } = require('./connectionError.js');
+
+const authByKeyPair = ({ account, role, timeout, username, privateKeyPath, privateKeyPass, logger }) => {
+	if (
+		!isValidPrivateKey({
+			privateKeyPath,
+			privateKeyPass,
+			logger,
+		})
+	) {
+		throw new ConnectionError(errorMessages.KEY_PAIR_INVALID_FILE_ERROR, errorCodes.ERR_INVALID_KEY_FILE);
+	}
 
-const authByKeyPair = ({ account, role, timeout, username, privateKeyPath, privateKeyPass }) => {
 	return connectWithTimeout({
 		account,
 		role,
@@ -12,6 +27,24 @@ const authByKeyPair = ({ account, role, timeout, username, privateKeyPath, priva
 	});
 };
 
+const isValidPrivateKey = ({ privateKeyPath, privateKeyPass, logger }) => {
+	const textFilePrivateKeyFormat = 'pem';
+	const fileContent = fs.readFileSync(privateKeyPath, 'utf8');
+
+	try {
+		crypto.createPrivateKey({
+			key: fileContent,
+			format: textFilePrivateKeyFormat,
+			passphrase: privateKeyPass,
+		});
+
+		return true;
+	} catch (error) {
+		logger.log('error', { error }, 'Connection error');
+		return false;
+	}
+};
+
 module.exports = {
 	authByKeyPair,
 };
diff --git a/reverse_engineering/helpers/snowflakeHelper.js b/reverse_engineering/helpers/snowflakeHelper.js
index ca51d265..f611800b 100644
--- a/reverse_engineering/helpers/snowflakeHelper.js
+++ b/reverse_engineering/helpers/snowflakeHelper.js
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ const connect = async (
 			logger,
 		});
 	} else if (authType === 'keyPair') {
-		authPromise = authByKeyPair({ account, role, timeout, username, privateKeyPath, privateKeyPass });
+		authPromise = authByKeyPair({ account, role, timeout, username, privateKeyPath, privateKeyPass, logger });
 	} else {
 		authPromise = authByCredentials({ account, username, password, role, warehouse, timeout });
 	}