Adumbration

Two recent articles from Science News Daily appeared in appropriately close proximity through my feedly. 

"Obama reassures Internet CEOs on tech privacy" points to a phys.org story on the subject:

President Barack Obama sought Friday [3/21] to assure leading Internet and tech executives that his administration is committed to protecting people's privacy, a week before a self-imposed deadline for a review of National Security Agency programs. ... "The president reiterated his administration's commitment to taking steps that can give people greater confidence that their rights are being protected while preserving important tools that keep us safe," the White House said in a statement.

meanwhile, "Google says Gmail encrypted 'starting today'" points also to phys.org and other sources (e.g. techspot) to reports on this announcement from the google:

Starting today [3/20], Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email. Gmail has supported HTTPS since the day it launched, and in 2010 we made HTTPS the default.

As with all other aspects of internet security, this is one step among many.