Mountain View-based Google said late Tuesday evening that it will make HTTPS, the secure web browsing protocol, the default for its Gmail mail access system. According to Google, the move comes after looking at the tradeoffs between security and latency, and deciding that using HTTPS was the "right thing to do." HTTPS forces encryption of data across the Internet, and prevents snooping of data, particularly when crossing public networks and at public Wi-Fi hotspots. The firm had offered an HTTPS option since 2008, but required users to set their preference for the security setting in their accoutns.