Yahoo is now automatically encrypting connections to its Yahoo Mail service as promised in November last year.
All connections to Yahoo Mail servers from clients across the globe will now be encrypted using 2,048-bit encryption keys, the company has announced. Yahoo implemented the feature a day prior to its self-imposed January 8 deadline. The encryption is not just limited to emails, but will be extended to attachments, contacts, calendar as well as messenger in the mail.
“As we promised back in October, we are now automatically encrypting all connections between our users and Yahoo Mail”, wrote Jeff Bonforte, Yahoo’s senior vice president of Communication Product in a blog post.
“Anytime you use Yahoo Mail – whether it’s on the web, mobile web, mobile apps, or via IMAP, POP or SMTP- it is 100% encrypted by default and protected with 2,048 bit certificates.”
Yahoo decided to beef up security of all its products after concerns were raised on government surveillance activities. Confidential documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed how NSA was collecting metadata from emails as well as snooping on Internet communications between data centres of several tech giants including Yahoo, Google and Microsoft.
Marissa Mayer had announced back in November last year that Yahoo never gave access to its data centres to NSA or any other government agency.
Mayer laid down Yahoo’s plans of implementing encryption for all its products stating that the company will “encrypt all information that moves between our data centers by the end of Q1 2014; Offer users an option to encrypt all data flow to/from Yahoo by the end of Q1 2014; and Work closely with our international Mail partners to ensure that Yahoo co-branded Mail accounts are https-enabled.”
