"SSL search is off" notification on Google

Question

The Problem

Since this morning, I have been getting pop-up notifications on Google SERPs like this one:

Looking up at my address bar, Google indeed wasn't using HTTPS.

The Background

SSL connections with other sites like Gmail, Drive and Facebook are OK, though. this happens on Chrome on Ubuntu and IE on Window 8 on 2 different laptops. I have not modified any of my router settings.

Just a thought, but might my service provider GulfNet Kuwait be dropping TLS connections so it can censor it effectively? (It already nonsensically blocks Skype and general-purpose image-binz like but not including Imgur).

The Question

I do NOT simply want to dismiss the notification whatever. I want to know what's causing this, and be able to use SSL.

Update: Actually, the problem doesn't occur everywhere; Firefox still uses HTTPS, and I do remember reading some posts last year about Firefox defaulting to HTTPS.

Update: HTTPS on Google was working normally again yesterday in Chrome, but reverted to this buggy behaviour today. Really confused...

Answer 1

This is not a problem with your laptops or your internet connection. Due to the large OpenSSL Heartbleed bug (http://heartbleed.com) Google has been forced to update their internal networks. It could be possible that the network updates are not completed on your location. Just wait and sit back. No personal information is transfered via an unsafe connection.

Answer 2

I still haven't gotten to the root of the problem, and am still looking for answers; but here's a work-around I'm using till then:

1. "Edit Search Engines" in Chrome settings;
2. Define a new one and set the url to https://encrypted.google.com/#q=ss (and optionally set it as your default option);
3. ???
4. Profit from your increased (possibly non-existent, though) privacy!