Everybody has seen the four or five letters that are at the beginning of a URL. However, not everyone is aware of the reason behind this string of letters. These letters inform the user about the safety of the webpage or site they are visiting. The two strings are HTTP and HTTPS. HTTP stands for hypertext transfer protocol, while HTTPS stands for hypertext transfer protocol secure. HTTP is used for transferring data from a web server to a web browser to display content. HTTPS is the more secure version of HTTP.
The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is how data is handled. HTTP data is not encrypted, meaning it is data that can be intercepted by third parties as the data is passed between two systems. HTTPS involves a SSL certificate, or a secure sockets layer. This creates a secure encrypted connection between the web server and browser, therefore preventing your data from being intercepted by third parties.
Know that a visit to a HTTPS site does not mean the webpage or site is 100% safe because websites are all vulnerable to some extent. In fact, some of the companies that have been hacked, resulting in thefts of a massive amount of customer personal data, used HTTPS pages. However, HTTPS pages do go a layer further in protecting your data.
Now that you know the difference between data transfer protocols used on the web, when visiting banking, university, or other webpages, pay special attention to the website address. This can mean whether or not special precautions are used when handling your data.
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HTTP means hypertext transfer protocol; it is used for transferring data from a web server to a web browser to display content.
When browsing websites for banking, universities, or random searches, pay attention to the website address if it has an HTTP or HTTPS at the beginning. This can mean all the difference on how your data is handled and kept safe.
The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is that with HTTP, the data that is accessed is not encrypted; it can be intercepted by third parties to gather data that is being passed between two systems. HTTPS, the S stands for secure, meaning that this involves the use of an SSL certificate, or a secure sockets layer, this creates a secure encrypted connection between the web server and browser. This keeps your data from being intercepted by third parties.
This alone does not always mean the website is safe; sometimes websites can be hacked, this is how some companies have massive amounts of customer personal data stolen or leaked.
Authors: Aaron Alter, Emily Cieslewicz
References
“What is HTTPS?” Instant SSL, 2018, https://www.instantssl.com/ssl-certificate-products/https.html
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