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Google has announced<\/a> that Gmail will now operate using HTTPS<\/a>, a secure connection between a browser and a server, by default. Previously, users could turn on HTTPS connections as default in their settings, but the situation has now been reversed.<\/p>\nGoogle said that after taking a look at the trade-off between speed and security<\/a>, the primary concern in this case, they decided that it was worth it to the end-user to automatically use a secure connection. <\/p>\n Sponsor<\/em> A group of 37 security and privacy specialists sent Google a letter<\/a> (.pdf) last June, urging the company to offer this feature. Gmail became the third largest email provider<\/a> last August, with more than 37 million unique visitors. <\/p>\n For all of you sitting at a coffee shop all day, using its unsecured wireless network, Google may have just saved you some serious headaches. That extra couple of seconds of load-time may just be worth it. Of course, if you don’t use Gmail or your service doesn’t offer HTTPS, there are always solutions like Pretty Good Privacy<\/a> to keep your private emails secure.<\/p>\n Discuss<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n