ANN ARBOR, MI (AP)-- Researchers at the University of Michigan are teaming up with Mozilla and other partners to offer free and secure website encryption.
A new certificate authority, called "Let's Encrypt," will be formed through the collaboration to ensure the identities of websites. Once a website is certified by Let's Encrypt, it will be protected from a host of potential cyber-attacks. Those sites will then be distinguishable through a web address that begins with HTTPS, rather than HTTP.
The cryptographic protocol HTTPS can protect against threats such as surveillance, phishing and identity theft. The potential impact of HTTPS has been limited because it is costly and cumbersome for a website operator to implement and maintain.
Let's Encrypt plans to make it easier through security protocols.
The authority is expected to being operating next summer.