Google Search To Add Default Encryption

Google is implementing over the next few weeks default encryption using SSL on searches for users signing in with their accounts, the company said Tuesday.

The move comes over a year after Google made SSL the default setting for Gmail, and also unveiled an encrypted search service.

“As search becomes an increasingly customized experience, we recognize the growing importance of protecting the personalized search results we deliver,” Google’s product manager, Evelyn Kao said in a blog post on Tuesday.

The encryption is expected to be particularly useful for people using an unsecured Internet connection, such as a Wi-Fi hotspot in an Internet cafe, Kao added.

With Google search over SSL, users get an end-to-end encrypted search channel between their computer and Google. The secured channel helps protect search terms and search results pages from being intercepted by a third party, Google said in a description of SSL search.

Over the next few weeks, users will be redirected to a secure search site when they are signed in with their Google Account. The change encrypts search queries and Google’s
results page.

Users can also navigate directly to the secure search site if they are signed out or don’t have a Google Account.

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