Signed by Google

Google's servers were attacked earlier last week, so as a precautionary measure the company has decided to encrypt user email (in Gmail) as it travels from a user's web browser to the search Giant's servers.

You can see this in the address bar, when you sign in to your Gmail account.
It is a welcome move as it provides an additional layer of security.

However, recently when commenting on a Blogger blog I observed this when I clicked the blue part of the address bar.

To know more about https, please click this link :
Information about https.

As Blogger is already a Google company, it makes little sense. Consider this example: a shopkeeper tells you that a food item at his store is of the best quality. He adds that it is true because he said so. Will you believe the shopkeeper?
Google is like the shopkeeper in this case.

It is a good practice that you should get a web certificate from a third party. For Gmail, Google has got a certificate from Thawte Consulting (pty) Ltd. . But why Blogger.com is an exception? I have seen even Google docs is certified by Google Inc. .

Twitter started using https recently following Google's footsteps. But it has now removed it. Twitter needs https even more because it is attacked heavily by hackers.

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Information about https

What is HTTPS?
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). It help to prevent eavesdropping with the help of encryption.

What is Eavesdropping?

Eavesdropping refers to the act of secretly listening to the private conversation of somebody else without their consent.

What is a certification authority? 

A certification authority helps to identify a web server. Suppose you are providing a Google username and password to a page that tells you that it is Gmail.com. When you click on that blue color bar, it shows you, the web server name google.com and the certifying authority's name : Thawte Consulting (pty) Ltd.

Thawte tells you that it is indeed Gmail's official page and it is safe to give your username and password.