Gmail now always uses HTTPS encryption for all messages

Google is announcing today that all email messages to and from your computer to Gmail servers use always HTTPS encryption, in addition messages travelling between Google’s own data centers will also encrypted. The change has been made to secure users messages in light of NSA revelations that spying agencies are tapping the data cables for unauthorized access to users emails. Google explains in a blogpost that today’s change means that no one can listen on in your messages whether you use computer, phone or tablet to access Gmail.

Gmail supported HTTPS encryption since 2004 and Google made HTTPS as the default option in 2010. With the latest change Google is making sure all its Gmail users are protected from phishing and spying attempts by making all the messages travelling through its network are more secure.

In addition, every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally. This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail’s servers, but also as they move between Google’s data centers—something we made a top priority after last summer’s revelations.

The change is due to NSA revelations, though Google didn’t mention the same explicitly, it said “we mad a top priority after last summer’s revelations”. Google says apart from security availability is the priority and reveals that Gmail was available 99.978% of the time, in 2013, which averages to 2 hours of disruption per user for the entire year.

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