Identifying Key Differences Between HTTP and HTTPS: Which is Better Among the Two?
We often see HTTP and HTTPS into our address bars in web browsers but often do not know what they stand for or what role they play. These abbreviations, in fact, represent important internet protocols that function for communication purposes. In this case, we will discuss how strongly relevant they are in the World Wide Web. Further, we will explain both HTTP and HTTPS below and then present the basic differences between the two.
HTTP
HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It is a special protocol for the exchange of information between a web browser and a web server. It distributes information over the World Wide Web. HyperText is the name of a structured text body that includes both programming and text in it.
HTTP connects the different nodes that present the Web as a collection of countless computers. HTTP, therefore, can exchange HyperText over the medium of the World Wide Web. It came from the same team which developed the World Wide Web and it was a necessary development in order to transfer information within the new network.
All the web browsers in modern times are able to transfer information using the now old HTTP structure. The new version was finally placed in 2015 with the name of HTTP/2.
HTTPS
It stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It is simply the secure version of the same HTTP which also includes a special protocol to carry out information exchange in a secure manner. The development of HTTPS was the result of a logical need to have a security system that could enable the exchange of sensitive information over the World Wide Web.
HTTPS uses the same information exchange mechanism but uses the SSL or Secure Sockets Layer for communication. This uses a set of keys which are called the public and private keys. These keys allow for the encoding of information at both ends.
A web browser may share the public key with other applications so that they may also read the text from the web browser. However, the private key remains hidden for obvious reasons. Thus, it provides the encoding so that the information remains unreadable on its way to the server. When you see “HTTPS” in the address bar of your browser, then you have a guarantee that the information exchange is safe. In effect, users browsing your website will feel safer knowing that there’s an additional layer of protection when they are visiting your website.
Using the Two Protocols
The two protocols (HTTP and HTTPS) work in different environments but follow the same structure of HyperText that contains all the necessary information. HTTP is used for information exchange with ordinary websites that do not contain any confidential information.
The use of HTTPS is for encoding the vital information and utilizing the additional layers of SSL and TLS or Transport Layer Security. If anyone can obtain the information during the transport, it is in an unreadable form. This is because it requires the keys at both ends to be decoded into a form where it could be understood by the communicating computers.
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