Encryption is a popular buzzword these days. Apple and Google are doing it (much to the chagrin of the feds), but high-tech Web security should not be limited to the wealthiest tech firms, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
EFF is teaming with Mozilla, Cisco, Akamai, and others for "Let's Encrypt," a new non-profit that will offer websites free server certificates beginning in summer 2015.
Encrypting the traffic that flows across your site makes it more secure and less susceptible to interception. But it's expensive and complicated to implement.
Encrypted sites need server certificates, which prove "that the server you're actually talking to is the server you intended to talk to," according to the group. "For many server operators, getting even a basic server certificate is just too much of a hassle. The application process can be confusing. It usually costs money. It's tricky to install correctly. It's a pain to update."
That's where Let's Encrypt comes in. It will provide free certificates with automatic renewal, as well as publicly available records of all certificate issuance and revocation.
The California-based Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) will oversee the project and help group members build the necessary infrastructure for the project and the 2015 launch. Let's Encrypt is also calling on you for assistance. "Let's Encrypt is a community-driven effort, so please consider helping out," it said. "Our code and protocol specs are available on GitHub."
"This project should boost everyday data protection for almost everyone who uses the Internet," EFF Technology Projects Director Peter Eckersley said in a statement. "Right now when you use the Web, many of your communications—your user names, passwords, and browsing histories—are vulnerable to hackers and others. By making it easy, fast, and free for websites to install encryption for their users, we will all be safer online."
The news comes shortly after CloudFlare announced Universal SSL, which will provide encrypted connections to its customers, including the 2 million that use the free version.