Yahoo has successfully encrypted traffic moving between its data centers and also implemented additional security methods to make users' information indecipherable to hackers.
Yahoo Inc., one of the largest Internet search companies, is adding extra layers of security to prevent hackers and governments' snooping agencies from accessing users' personal information. The latest accomplishment comes months after the company revealed plans to enhance security levels within its systems. Yahoo announced Wednesday that any information transferred from one Yahoo data center to another is now encrypted, making it difficult to decipher emails and other information without consent.
Protecting users' personal information became the top priority for web companies after a NSA whistleblower leaked confidential documents alleging the National Security Agency used various techniques to spy on U.S. citizens. NSA practices also involved asking firms like Yahoo and others for user information and tapping of fiber-optic cables for data snooping.
Yahoo has time and again insisted that the company never allowed NSA or other government agencies to access any of its data centers. But the company's CEO Marissa Mayer wanted to enhance the security of its systems so they are impenetrable. In a blog post announcing the new security change Wednesday, Yahoo's Chief Information Security Officer, Alex Stamos, said users' data was more secure than ever with any information including all search queries on Yahoo Homepage to be encrypted with HTTPS security by default.
"We will be implementing additional security measures such as HSTS, Perfect Forward Secrecy and Certificate Transparency over the coming months," Stamos said. "This isn't a project where we'll ever check a box and be "finished." Our fight to protect our users and their data is an on-going and critical effort. We will continue to work hard to deploy the best possible technology to combat attacks and surveillance that violate our users' privacy."
The web giant is encouraging users to access Yahoo services such as Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, and Good Morning America on Yahoo (gma.yahoo.com), by adding letter "S" after the "HTTP" for all sites. Yahoo Mail, however, is already updated with HTTPS encryption. The web giant is also extending its security to Yahoo Messenger, by launching a new and encrypted version in the coming months.
