Digital Government
RIP, HTTP
- By Zach Noble
- Jun 08, 2015
In a June 8 memo, the Office of Management and Budget finalized an HTTPS-only standard for federal websites, ditching the insecure HTTP of the past.
The unencrypted HTTP protocol -- which most federal sites currently use – “does not protect data from interception or alteration, which can subject users to eavesdropping, tracking, and the modification of received data,” the OMB memo notes. “An HTTPS-only mandate will provide the public with a consistent, private browsing experience and position the Federal Government as a leader in Internet security.”
"As we've said before, every .gov website, no matter how small, should give its visitors a secure, private connection," the General Services Administration's 18F spokespersons blogged about the announcement. "We're thrilled to see HTTPS become the new baseline for federal web services."
For guidance on the HTTPS migration, agencies can look to https://https.cio.gov/ -- agencies must bring all sites and services into the HTTPS fold by Dec. 31, 2016.
About the Author
Zach Noble is a staff writer covering digital citizen services, workforce issues and a range of civilian federal agencies.
Before joining FCW in 2015, Noble served as assistant editor at the viral news site TheBlaze, where he wrote a mix of business, political and breaking news stories and managed weekend news coverage. He has also written for online and print publications including The Washington Free Beacon, The Santa Barbara News-Press, The Federalist and Washington Technology.
Noble is a graduate of Saint Vincent College, where he studied English, economics and mathematics.
Click here for previous articles by Noble, or connect with him on Twitter: @thezachnoble.