Google To Encrypt All Keyword Searches

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday September 24, 2013 @08:45AM from the did-you-mean-*8ahd2$-#-I3oEf7? dept.

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Danny Sullivan reports that in the past month, Google has quietly made a change aimed at encrypting all search activity to provide 'extra protection' for searchers, and possibly to block NSA spying activity. In October 2011, Google began encrypting searches for anyone who was logged into Google. The reason given was privacy. Now, Google has flipped on encryption for people who aren't even signed-in. In June, Google was accused of cooperating with the NSA to give the agency instant and direct access to its search data through the PRISM spying program, something the company has strongly denied. 'I suspect the increased encryption is related to Google's NSA-pushback,' writes Sullivan. 'It may also help ease pressure Google's feeling from tiny players like Duck Duck Go making a "secure search" growth pitch to the media.'"

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Re:Power Implications by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-24 09:19 · Score: 5, Informative

According to one of the head Google staffers responsible for their SSL/TLS operations, it's pretty much a non-issue: https://www.imperialviolet.org/2010/06/25/overclocking-ssl.html
It basically ended up adding less than 1% to the CPU overhead for their servers, didn't require special hardware, and didn't involve any new systems.