The difference between HTTP and HTTPS and the importance of encryption.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the protocol used for transmitting hypermedia documents, such as HTML. It is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. However, HTTP is an unencrypted protocol. This means that any data sent between your browser and the web server—including passwords, credit card numbers, and personal information—is transmitted as plain text. Anyone snooping on the network, such as an attacker on the same public Wi-Fi, can easily intercept and read this data. This vulnerability makes HTTP completely unsuitable for any kind of sensitive communication. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the solution to this problem. It is essentially the same as HTTP but with an added layer of security. HTTPS uses an encryption protocol, typically SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security), to encrypt the communication between the client and the server. This encryption ensures three key things: 1. Confidentiality: It prevents eavesdroppers from understanding the content of the communication. 2. Integrity: It ensures that the data has not been altered in transit. 3. Authentication: It verifies that you are communicating with the legitimate website and not an imposter, which is achieved through digital certificates issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). Modern web browsers now flag sites that still use HTTP as 'Not Secure' to warn users. For any website that handles user logins or any form of sensitive data, using HTTPS is not just a recommendation—it's an absolute necessity for security and user trust.