Well, Well, Well! Google's SSL search compromises the user's desktop security to a large extent.
When a user searches using google, user's local desktop security applications such as McAfee's Site Protector or such similar suites will not have any clue on the content of the results. And the links cannot be verified for genuine and security. This is applicable for all such applications and it can be overridden as the applications are local, but would McAfee care to release an updated version to the existing suite? And all other applications which provides link security would really care to release an update? If at all it can be overridden. ( I have not done any research on IE8 to validate the claim if it can be overridden, but on older versions of IE, it can be.)
So, if a malicious site is returned by Google, (Well, Google is not too good in site classification / user protection. Are they? :)), the user is at risk of getting the infection. In case of any 0-day exploits getting a chance to infect the user's system via Google's "secure" search results, the user is doomed. For what? Using the Google's secure search?
I can clearly visualise the long term monopoly google is going to have on everything that is connected! :D
Do you?
Goggle's introduction of SSL to search has been a deliberate move to curb third party access it contents. Though they can talk about privacy issues, sniffing, blah blah blah, any one who relied on the referrer information is doomed when the site gets redirected. Any non-google analytics will not have any data on the referrer/search terms which the user has used to get to the site.
As long as you stay with google, you will have access to a wealth of information. But once you are out of it, there might practically be nothing!
A recent comment from one of the netizen, I thought it is nice to be quoted here! :D
"GOOGLE IS NOT BE TRUSTED, INVESTIGATIONS IN THE USA STATES GOOGLE IS PURCHASING KNOWLEDGE , BOOKS , ETC. COPYRIGHTS . WITH A VIEW OF HAVING FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ACCESS OF ANY COPY RIGHT MATERIAL. WHICH MEANS A PRICE WILL BE PLACED ON KNOWLEDGE.???
STUDENTS, RESEARCHERS , IF FACT ALL WILL HAVE PAY FOR ACCESS.
MEAN WHILE GOOGLE IS SELLING EMAIL ADDRESSES, PLUS ANY INFORMATION RECEIVED. HOME LAND SECURITY AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE INVESTIGATING. ZERO CONCLUSIONS WILL BE REACHED , DUE TO THE ENORMOUS SUMS GOOGLE GIVES TO POLITICAL PARTIES AND LOBBYISTS."
I do not make any claim or support of the above quoted, bold comments as it is not mine, but forewarned, the above is true and already in the making.
Thought for time?