Google now encrypts its emails for better security

Gmail will now always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email

Internet giant Google has announced encryption of its popular Gmail service as part of its move to make communication over its server more secure and reliable and to prevent breach into its security.

"Your email is important to you, and making sure it stays safe and always available is important to us," said Nicolas Lidzborski, Gmail Security Engineering chief.

"Starting today, Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email. Gmail has supported HTTPS since the day it launched, and in 2010, we made HTTPS the default," Lidzborski said in a blog post yesterday.

"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 WiFi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet," he said, announcing the latest move by Google to reassure customers following whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations about surveillance by American National Security Agency.

According to the Google official, every single email message one sends or receives - 100% of them - is encrypted while moving internally.

"This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail's servers, but also as they move between Google's data centres - something we made a top priority after last summer's revelations," he claimed.

In 2013, Gmail was available 99.978% of the time, which averages to less than two hours of disruption for a user for the entire year.

"Our engineering experts look after Google's services 24X7 and if a problem ever arises, they're on the case immediately. We keep you informed by posting updates on the Apps Status Dashboard until the issue is fixed, and we always conduct a full analysis on the problem to prevent it from happening again," Lidzborski said.