June 17, 2015 By Shane Schick 2 min read

Wikipedia is usually considered one of the most comprehensive online resources in the world, and it may soon become one of the safest thanks to the Wikimedia Foundation’s decision to implement HTTPS data encryption across all its sites.

As TechCrunch reported, Wikimedia’s move represents the next step in a process it began two years ago. Until now, data encryption via HTTPS has only been used by default for those who had set up an account and signed in. Updates to the organization’s code base, infrastructure changes and the HTTPS Strict Transport Security will extend this level of protection even to countries where it would have been difficult or impossible in the past.

For most everyday Web users, data encryption will mainly be visible by the green lock icon when they visit sites like Wikipedia, The Next Web said. For IT departments or CISOs who want a better understanding of how it is improving security, the organization is expected to release documentation that will answer the most critical questions. It may even encourage other enterprises to follow suit.

In some cases, better data encryption can come with trade-offs in site performance. As Infosecurity Magazine noted, however, Wikimedia Foundation has configured its use of HTTPS to ensure Wikipedia pages don’t load more slowly, for example. If the user experience for Wikimedia users remains strong or even improves, it would be a good case study in why extensive testing is such a critical component of adopting measures such as HTTPS.

Forbes suggested that Wikimedia is making data encryption a priority in part to keep in step with the U.S. federal government, which is also mandating the use of HTTPS for all agency websites. Better data security will also potentially ensure privacy isn’t affected by those who attempt to spy or censor online information that is contributed to user-generated sites like Wikipedia.

The more everyday people flock to a set of highly popular online services, the more steps like data encryption will become a security expectation that must be met. The Verge pointed to models such as Facebook and even Yahoo Mail, which uses SSL encryption rather than HTTPS. This kind of protection may not be what everyday consumers ask for, but enterprises are starting to realize it’s what most of them need.

More from

We are moving!

< 1 min read - SecurityIntelligence.com is being sunset, but have no fear!We have a new home for all of your favorite security and X-Force content.Follow us to www.ibm.com/think to maintain access to the stories and news you love, both new and old.Security Intelligence will officially sunset on Friday, March 28, 2025. To access the latest security thought leadership, go here. To access the latest X-Force research, go here.If you are experiencing cybersecurity issues or an incident, contact X-Force® to help:US hotline: 1-888-241-9812 | Global hotline:…

Bypassing Windows Defender Application Control with Loki C2

10 min read - Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) is a security solution that restricts execution to trusted software. Since it is classified as a security boundary, Microsoft offers bug bounty payouts for qualifying bypasses, making it an active and competitive field of research.Typical outcomes of a WDAC bypass bug bounty submission:Bypass is fixed; possible bounty awardedBypass is not fixed but instead "mitigated" by being added to the WDAC recommended block list. Likely no bounty awarded but honorable mention is typically givenBypass is not…

FYSA — VMware Critical Vulnerabilities Patched

< 1 min read - SummaryBroadcom has released a security bulletin, VMSA-2025-0004, addressing and remediating three vulnerabilities that, if exploited, could lead to system compromise. Products affected include vCenter Server, vRealize Operations Manager, and vCloud Director.Threat TopographyThreat Type: Critical VulnerabilitiesIndustry: VirtualizationGeolocation: GlobalOverviewX-Force Incident Command is monitoring activity surrounding Broadcom’s Security Bulletin (VMSA-2025-0004) for three potentially critical vulnerabilities in VMware products. These vulnerabilities, identified as CVE-2025-22224, CVE-2025-22225, and CVE-2025-22226, have reportedly been exploited in attacks. X-Force has not been able to validate those claims. The vulnerabilities…

Topic updates

Get email updates and stay ahead of the latest threats to the security landscape, thought leadership and research.
Subscribe today