(Note: This blog post was originally published under my old domain(codesmiles.com), here. Web Archive link.
Just a quick tip.. if your gmail url is http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1# you might be wondering whether it is secure(as it is not https), it isn’t so secure, but recently Gmail changed its default mode to https, most people get the url as https when they login currently. [more]But if you still see only http, then to make gmail more secure, go to your gmail Settings and enable “Always use https”
“..If you sign in to Gmail via a non-secure Internet connection, like a public wireless or non-encrypted network, your Google account may be more vulnerable to hijacking. Non-secure networks make it easier for someone to impersonate you and gain full access to your Google account, including any sensitive data it may contain like bank statements or online log-in credentials…”
More here..