Google is set to start warning Gmail users when they receive an unencrypted email.
While email encryption is on the rise, it is still far from ubiquitous, Gmail warned, citing a study it carried out along with the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois.
Its findings showed that 61 per cent of inbound emails are now encrypted, up from just 33 per cent in December 2013, when the study began.
However, some countries are stripping emails of their encryption as they come in, Gmail's engineers warned.
In a blog post, Gmail's anti-fraud and abuse research expert, Elie Bursztein, and security engineering lead, Nicolas Lidzborski, wrote: "We found regions of the internet actively preventing message encryption by tampering with requests to initiate SSL connections."
An infographic of the latest research, courtesy of Gmail
Meanwhile, the research uncovered malicious DNS servers that publish bogus routing information to email servers looking for Gmail, allowing attackers to censor or alter emails before they reach recipients.
"While these threats do not affect Gmail to Gmail communication, they may affect messaging between providers," Bursztein and Lidzborski said.
These threats have led Gmail to work on a warning system that alerts users when they receive unencrypted mail.
"To notify our users of potential dangers, we are developing in-product warnings for Gmail users that will display when they receive a message through a non-encrypted connection. These warnings will begin to roll-out in the coming months," confirmed the bloggers.
-
Bigger salaries, more burnout: Is the CISO role in crisis?In-depth CISOs are more stressed than ever before – but why is this and what can be done?
-
Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
-
Microsoft 365 admins warned over new Gmail anti-spam rulesNews Microsoft 365 users have been warned they could be penalized for failing to adhere to new anti-spam standards
-
Google launches dark web monitoring tools for US Gmail usersNews First launched for Google One customers, the dark web report service is rolling out to all US-based Gmail users
-
North Korean-linked Gmail spyware 'SHARPEXT' harvesting sensitive email contentNews The insidious software exfiltrates all mail and attachments, researchers warn, putting sensitive documents at risk
-
Android malware campaign 'targets 1 million Google accounts'News Check Point says Android malware campaign can steal tokens from Google accounts
-
Google plays down Gmail address & password leakNews Search giant claims fewer than two per cent of the five million usernames and passwords leaked would have worked
-
Gmail app hack: Why it's unlikely to derail your BYOD plansIn-depth Davey Winder takes a closer look at last week's news about the 92 per cent success rate of the Gmail app hack
-
Week in review: Windows 8, China loves Gmail and mobile phone radiationNews Windows 8 is coming! But when? The Chinese hack Gmail! Or did they? Mobile phones cause cancer! Or do they? It's been a very confusing week...
-
Google accuses China of Gmail tamperingNews Google suggests the Chinese Government is to blame for Gmail disruptions.
