The search engine provider Google now offers encrypted connections to its users. Therefore the HTTPS protocol has been integrated into web search.

“Earlier this year, we encrypted Gmail for all our users, and next week we will start offering an encrypted version of Google Search,” Alan Eustace, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Research, stated on Friday.

This helps you to protect yourself when using Google search. Especially in public hotspots or other publicly accessible local networks, this feature should increase privacy. Google is the first larger search engine operator providing such feature. Normally, SSL connections are limited to security-relevant applications, such as log-ins or online banking, due to the increased consumption of resources.