Google's battle against data breach moved a step further as the Internet giant announced a secure connection for all Gmail users and encryption of all emails.
Google, along with other web and tech companies, is fighting hard to win over users' trust after whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked NSA's confidential documents detailing the U.S. government's Internet surveillance plans. In its latest attempt, Google assured users that its web email client Gmail was secure. In an official blog post, Friday, Google said users will only be able to connect to Gmail through Web using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, or HTTPS, connection.
Google originally introduced HTTPS connection at the launch of the service but made it a default option in 2010. The latest change to the web portal means users will no longer be able to connect to Gmail using an insecure HTTP connection, the option which was available until Friday.
"Today's change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail's servers -- no matter if you're using public Wi-Fi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet," the company said in a blog.
In addition to using HTTPS connection for Gmail web access, Google said all messages will also be encrypted when internally handled by the company. This makes the messages shared between a user and Google's servers more secure, as well as when they move between Google's data centers.
Google said the change to its email service comes after last year's revelations, although the company did not make a direct reference to NSA in its blog post. Other companies including Yahoo among technology giants have come forward about the U.S. government's spy programs. These companies fear decline in Internet use by consumers who worry their daily activities are being monitored by the government. This can affect the overall revenue as user engagement drives companies to show their ads and sell other services online.
As for NSA, the government organization said it only targets information with foreign intelligence value.
With the latest change, Google will be in the loop with any data shared with the NSA and the agency will not be able to snoop without Google's knowledge.
"Our commitment to the security and reliability of your email is absolute, and we're constantly working on ways to improve," Google said.
