Google Mail via Secure Connection
If you use Google Mail, you should ALWAYS take advantage of a great feature – accessing mail over a secure connection via https. It’s easy. Just access Gmail using the address https://mail.google.com. Not only is your password not passed over the Internet in the clear, the entire session is encrypted and untappable. This will prevent anyone from snooping on your email as it travels from Google’s server (likely in California) to where you are. Gmail is so quick, you’ll never notice the difference in speed. This is not very well publicized, but it’s an excellent feature.
Is it only for the paranoid? No. Reasons for using this feature – you’re using a Wifi hostspot where Internet traffic can be snooped; you’re using a broadband connection in a hotel where others can read your mail; you don’t want a government agency snooping on your messages; you’re in China and don’t want your incoming/outgoing mail to be filtered; you don’t want your contacts viewed by others; and it’s just a good idea.
(If you are using it in China, it can mean the difference between an outgoing email making it through, or being blocked.)
If you are not a user of Google Mail, it really is the best one around. And Yahoo, Hotmail and other free Web-based email systems don’t offer this feature. They may securely transmit your password, but the rest of your session is in the clear. If you can, make the move.
(For other security tips, see the page here called Security Tips for Journalists.)
May 28th, 2006 23:50
Thanks, I thought for one reason or another Gmail was already rather safe: this sounds even better.
May 31st, 2006 12:55
I don’t understand — is there a single GMail login page that (a) isn’t served from HTTPS itself, and (b) doesn’t log you in via an HTTPS URL in the form action? I can’t find one, so this doesn’t seem like that big a deal.
http://mail.google.com/ redirects to an HTTPS server for me.
http://gmail.google.com/ redirects to an HTTPS server for me.
http://google.com/gmail/ redirects to an HTTPS server for me.
[etc, etc, etc.]
May 31st, 2006 17:29
The links you provide will get you to an “https” login screen, and your password will not be in the clear. But the ensuing connection will be all through “http” and not https. Try it and you should see the same thing.
May 31st, 2006 18:37
Already blocked in China.
May 31st, 2006 18:59
Hi RLM, I’ve been using it from PRC for months now, and it’s working right now. Perhaps a glitch or something related to your particular ISP?
June 4th, 2006 19:43
[...] To recap – on May 28, I documented how to use Gmail in https secure mode. Then starting just before the fourth of this month, I reported on the widespread outage of http://www.google.com and a hack to get around it by using the naked IP address of Google’s US servers. [...]
August 6th, 2006 08:37
is there any current alternative left to access gmail in china? i’m in shenzhen online over cable, and can’t get into https://mail.google.com or any others suggested.
October 17th, 2007 00:38
Hi,
I reviewed every possible link given here… but none of them seems to working in China to access my GMAIL. Does this mean there is no way out to check gmail in the entire China…
Come on Guys… Gimme a Break…
Help me out on this one….
AJ
February 9th, 2009 17:34
amazing stuff thanx
February 13th, 2009 00:17
Of course, what a great site and informative posts, I will add backlink – bookmark this site? Regards, Reader.
June 25th, 2009 12:57
Seems the rest of China has joined in as we have now had Google banned in Qingdao as of yesterday. If anyone finds a way to access it, please, please let me know… I have about 6 gmail email accounts!!
October 27th, 2009 02:45
Does this also work for business accounts? The login page goes to http as soon as you click “organisation” at the bottom.
November 25th, 2009 04:53
A very interesting blog post. What would you say was the most common problem?
December 25th, 2009 11:04
I’ve been reading a few posts and really and enjoy your writing. I’m just starting up my own blog and only hope that I can write as well and give the reader so much insight.