Google Rolls Out Encrypted Search

Google kept this one until after the Google I/O 2010 conference, but it’s certainly a big announcement. Google has now enabled SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption of its search engine ensuring that any web search user’s conduct stays private. The feature is labeled as a beta and isn’t the default option, but it is now live and available to anyone.

“[T]oday we’re gradually rolling out a new choice to search more securely at https://www.google.com.When you search on https://www.google.com, an encrypted connection is created between your browser and Google,” Evan Roseman, software engineer at Google, wrote.

“This secured channel helps protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party on your network. The service includes a modified logo to help indicate that you’re searching using SSL and that you may encounter a somewhat different Google search experience,” he explained.

There are very few drawbacks to using a secure connection, yet few websites employ it beyond the login process. Sites with an increased need for security may use it, online banking or shopping, but that’s about it. Google has started adopting https:// secure connections for some of its services, most notably for Gmail, for which SSL connections are enabled by default for all traffic.

The new encrypted Google search is in beta for now, as the service is not yet on par with the regular search engine. For one, secure connections are only enabled for the core search engine and not for things like Image Search or Google Maps. Video search is available, though, so is Book, Blog, Real-Time Search and others.

Images will still show up in the results thanks to the Universal Search feature, but following the links will switch you to the regular, unencrypted search. The search engine may also feel a bit slower due to the inherent delay caused by the SSL handshake. You can check out the Google help page for SSL search if you have questions.

Interestingly, users may notice that the colorful icons that adorned the recently introduced permanent sidebar are gone with only the text links remaining. Google seems to be testing a version of the search engine without the small images before a possible wider roll-out. Or it may be that it is compensating for the slowness added by using SSL.