Google was changing the default search engine at least for some users to Google encrypted search. Whenever these users search they are automatically redirected to https://encrypted.google.com instead of the standard Google search address. Encrypted search, often referred to as Google SSL, improves the protection against some attack forms that spy on a computer’s traffic. SSL search is only enabled on some Google properties. Google images and Google Maps for instance are available over SSL currently.
If you’d like to keep your searches between you and Google (and not between you and anyone in between snooping) a secure search is just a simple URL change away. Next time you head over to Google swap out www.google.com for encrypted.google.com to establish an SSL tunnel between your browser and Google’s servers. This encrypts your searches between you and the Google but doesn’t encrypt your connection once you click on the results and navigate away from Google.
