HTTPS

Preview

1. What is HTTPS and why is it important for website security?
2. How does HTTPS ensure secure communication between a web browser and a server?
3. What are the key differences between HTTP and HTTPS?
4. How can users know if a website is using HTTPS or not?
5. What are some common vulnerabilities that can still exist with HTTPS and how can they be mitigated?

Explain

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is a protocol used to secure and encrypt communications between a web browser and a website. In other words, it adds an extra layer of security to the standard HTTP protocol, which is otherwise not safe for transmitting sensitive information online.

When a user types “https://” in the address bar of a web browser, a secure connection is established and all data transmitted between the browser and the web server is encrypted. This ensures that the data cannot be intercepted, read or modified by hackers or other third parties.

An example of a website that uses HTTPS is Gmail from Google. When users log in to their Gmail account, they will notice that the URL in the address bar starts with “https://” instead of “http://”. This indicates that the connection is secure and encrypted.

Keypoint

1. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.

2. HTTPS is a secure version of the HTTP protocol that is used to transmit data between a client (i.e. web browser) and a server.

3. It uses a combination of the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol and the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to establish a secure connection between the client and server.

4. The use of HTTPS ensures that the data transmitted between the client and server is encrypted, which helps to protect against hacking and data theft.

5. HTTPS protocol ensures identity verification of the website that we are accessing.

6. HTTPS protocol makes sure that the data being accessed cannot be modified in transit.

7. HTTPS protocol guarantees the confidentiality of the data being transmitted.

8. Common uses of HTTPS protocol include secure online transactions (e.g. banking, shopping), secure login and authentication, and protection of sensitive information.

Review

1. What is HTTPS?

• HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP that uses encryption to protect website users’ information.

2. How does HTTPS work?

• HTTPS uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt data sent between a website user’s computer and the web server hosting the website.

3. How can you tell if a website is using HTTPS?

• Websites using HTTPS have URLs that begin with “https://” instead of “http://”, and display a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar.

4. What are the benefits of using HTTPS?

• HTTPS ensures that users’ sensitive information, such as login credentials and credit card numbers, is protected from hackers and other unauthorized parties. It also helps prevent phishing attacks and enhances website trust and credibility.

5. What are the potential drawbacks of using HTTPS?

• HTTPS can slow down website loading times due to the encryption process, and it may require additional resources and technical expertise to implement and maintain. Additionally, some older web browsers or devices may not support HTTPS.