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July 26th, 2008

Google Adds User Enabled HTTPS Secure Connections Into GMail

Google has added a new “Browser Connection” feature to GMail that allows users to force e-mail sessions to always use the more secure “https” (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) protocol. HTTPS is a secure protocol that provides authenticated and encrypted communication. For some reason, this option is turned off by default and the user must enable it.

In the Settings tab, at the bottom, GMail users can now select an “Always use https” option for stronger security, especially when connecting via Wi-Fi. This should help reduce exposure to things like sidejacking and cookie theft attacks.

According to Google, if you sign in to GMail via a non-secure Internet connection, like a public wireless or non-encrypted network, your Google account may be more vulnerable to hijacking. Non-secure networks make it easier for someone to impersonate you and gain full access to your Google account, including any sensitive data it may contain like bank statements or online log-in credentials. “Always use https” option in Gmail is recommended for usage any time your network may be non-secure.

GMail users of the Mobile Application might get some errors during secure HTTP connections, according to some reports.

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