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.)
Thanks, I thought for one reason or another Gmail was already rather safe: this sounds even better.
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.]
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.
Already blocked in China.
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?
Pingback: Andrew Lih » Blog Archive » Google access update
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.
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
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!!
Does this also work for business accounts? The login page goes to http as soon as you click “organisation” at the bottom.