US Government Requires HTTPS
The Obama White House has issued a memorandum telling all US government agencies they must use HTTPS for all websites and web communication.
The Obama White House has issued a memorandum telling all US government agencies they must use HTTPS for all websites and web communication. A summary document online, titled “The HTTPS-Only Standard” is a web-friendly version of the White House Office of Management and Budget memo M-15-13, “Policy to Require Secure Connections across Federal Websites and Web Services.”
The document states the requirement that “all publicly accessible Federal websites and web services only provide service through a secure connection.” According to the doc, Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the “strongest privacy and integrity protection currently available for public web connections,” and it is therefore the protocol of choice for encrypted sessions.
Although many modern websites have adopted HTTPS as the standard web protocol, a vast number of sites still operate on un-encrypted, plain old HTTP. The US federal government has such a huge collection of sites that establishing HTTPS as a minimum standard for privacy could have a ripple effect through the rest of the web. The memo states the principle that “All browsing activity should be considered private and sensitive,” which privacy advocates in the US and abroad will welcome.
Although this plan has reportedly been in the works for several months, the announcement might have been timed to appear proactive in the wake of reports about security breaches on government sites, such as the recent massive attack on the US Office of Personnel Management. The NSA scandals have also created a need for the White House to make a statement affirming a general right for privacy, although recent proceedings in the congress and courtroom indicate the administration isn’t giving up on its interest in Internet surveillance.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Endless OS 6 has Arrived
After more than a year since the last update, the latest release of Endless OS is now available for general usage.
-
Fedora Asahi 40 Remix Available for Macs with Apple Silicon
If you've been anticipating KDE's Plasma 6 for your Apple Silicon-powered Mac, then you're in luck.
-
Red Hat Adds New Deployment Option for Enterprise Linux Platforms
Red Hat has re-imagined enterprise Linux for an AI future with Image Mode.
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.