What Do HTTP and HTTPS Mean?

You have probably noticed that HTTP or HTTPS at the beginning of a URL in your browser. Both are Internet protocols used by web browsers to transmit and receive data on the Internet. Before the FQDN, it is the first part of a URL, such as https://techiechilly.blogspot.com/. You have noticed that some websites use HTTP while others use HTTP.

Both HTTP and HTTPS are responsible for providing a channel through which data can be passed between a web browser and your device to allow normal web browsing functionality to take place.

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the latter "s" at the end of HTTPS stands for "Secure". If you visit a website without an HTTPS tag, it means that the data you enter on this website is not secure. In short, HTTPS is more secure & should be used whenever there is a need to transfer secure data, such as logging into your Bank’s website, writing emails, sending files etc.

So what does HTTP and HTTPS mean and what is the difference between them? Read on to learn more about these concepts, including their role in Internet use and why one is far superior to the other.

What is HTTP?

HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is a protocol, or prescribed order and syntax for presenting information, used to transfer data over a network. This network protocol used by the World Wide Web that allows you to open links to web pages & jump from one page to another through search engines and other websites. By using the HTTP protocol, most information sent over the Internet, including website content and API calls.

It gives you the ability to communicate with a web server. When you open an HTTP web page, your web browser uses HTTP (port 80) to request the page from the web server. It uses the same protocol when the server receives & accepts the request to return the page to you.

As an "application layer protocol", HTTP still focuses on presenting information, but is less concerned with how that information is transmitted from one place to another. Unfortunately, this means that HTTP can be intercepted and potentially modified, leaving both the information and the recipient of the information (which is you) vulnerable.

[HTTP explains how data is transmitted, not how it is displayed in a web browser. HTML is responsible for how web pages are formatted and displayed in a browser].

What is HTTPS ?

This is very similar to HTTP with the main difference being that it is secure, which is what the “s” at the end of HTTPS stands for.

HTTPS uses a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, which essentially locks data between your browser & the server in a secure, encrypted tunnel over port 443. This makes it so much more difficult for sniffers to decrypt packets, unlike HTTP.

Any data you enter on the website without HTTPS (for ex – your username, password, bank details, any other form submission data etc.) is sent in clear text & is therefore vulnerable to hacking, illegal interception or eavesdropping. Because of this, you should always verify that a website is using HTTPS before entering any information.

Another benefit of HTTPS is that it is much faster than HTTP, which means web pages load faster over HTTPS. This is because HTTPS is already understood to be secure, so there is no need to scan or filter data, resulting in less data being transferred and ultimately faster transfer times.

Does HTTPS Protect Everything ?

There is much more to online security than simply choosing a secure website over an insecure one.
For ex - HTTPS doesn't help much in phishing cases where you are tricked into entering your password into a fake login form. It is possible that the website is using HTTPS, but if someone on the receiving end is collecting your user information, the secure protocol was just the tunnel they used to do it.

With HTTPS connection, they can also download malicious files. Again, the connection protocol used to communicate with the web server does not speak at all about the data it transmits. You could download malware throughout the day through a secure channel; HTTPS will do nothing to stop it.

Another thing to note about web security related to HTTPS and HTTP is that the network protocol does not protect you from hackers or stealthy intruders. As obvious as it sounds, you still need to create strong passwords for your accounts that are hard to guess, and sign out when you're done with an online account (especially if you're on a public computer).