Ever wondered if your online data is safe or not or if someone is peeking into your private digital data ?. Imagine you are sending a letter to your friend and if you write it on a postcard then anyone can see what is written and read it while delivering it to your friend. But if you seal it in an envelope your message stays private. The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is a lot like that where one is like an open postcard and the other one is a sealed envelope. Now lets discuss HTTP and HTTPS.
What is HTTP ?
HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol is the important pillar or foundation of data communication over the internet. Its the protocol that allows browsers, devices, etc and servers to talk to each other and share data or information.
How HTTP works -
When you search a website (using a name or url like youtube.com) in your browser then your browser sends a request to the server which then servers sends back the response (requested webpage).
Now the downside of HTTP, HTTP sends data in plain text. This means anyone intercepting the communication like a hacker can read or modify the data and your sensitive information like passwords or bank details, etc is in risk of your data being exposed or compromised.
What is HTTPS ?
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. Its an upgraded version of HTTP which is designed to make web communication more secure. It adds a layer of protection (encryption) while transferring your data from browser to server and server to browser.
How HTTPS works -
HTTPS uses encryption to secure and hide the data exchanged between your browser and the server even if someone intercepts the communication that particular someone cannot read and see the data without a decryption key. HTTPS uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or its new version TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt the data. (in upcoming sections you will get to know SSL and TLS).
Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS
→ Security -
HTTP has no encryption which is why data is vulnerable whereas HTTPS has encryption to encrypts the data to protect it from hackers.
→ Trust Indicator -
While using HTTP browsers often flag HTTP websites as “NOT SECURE” whereas while using HTTP browsers display a padlock icon in the address bar which indicate a secure connection.
→ SEO -
Search engines like Google and others search engines prioritize HTTPS websites over HTTP websites which improve their ranking.
→ Data Integrity -
HTTPS ensures that the data sent between your browser and the server is not modified or altered during transmission of the data.
The Role of SSL / TLS in Protecting Data Online
Simple visualization -
Detail visualization -
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are the backbone technologies that power HTTPS and secure online communication. Lets discuss about it -
→ Encryption - SSL/TLS encrypts the data sent between your browser and the server which make data unreadable to anyone who trying to modify or intercept the data. Think of it as creating a private path or tunnel for your data.
→ Authentication - SSL/TLS ensures that the website you are communicating with is legitimate. It does this through SSL certificates which are issued by trusted certificate authorities (CAs).
→ Data Integrity - By using cryptographic features SSL/TLS prevents data modification during transmission. Any unauthorized changes to the data would be invalid.
→ Handshake Process - When you connect to an HTTPS website SSL/TLS does a handshake to establish a secure connection this involves verifying the server certificates and agreeing on encryption methods.
Why SSL / TLS is important ?
Imagine you are sharing your home key with a trusted friend. Instead of handing to over openly you pass it to your friend in a locked box only he/she can open. This is the importance of SSL/TLS which secure sensitive data and information so that only the eligible users (devices) can access it and use it.
Now you know about SSL/TLS lets discuss about HTTP/3 the latest version of HTTP.
HTTP/3
HTTP/3 is the latest version of the HTTP protocol. With HTTP/3 the internet is moving toward a faster and more secure web experience and it comes with major improvements -
→ Built on QUIC - HTTP/3 is built on QUIC a transport protocol developed by google. QUIC uses UDP (User Datagram Protocol) instead of TCP which make it more faster and reliable connections over the internet.
→ Improved Speed - HTTP/3 reduces latency and makes web pages load faster by eliminating some of the handshake and connection establishment delays.
→ Better Performance - It handles network changes (like switching between mobile data and Wifi) more smoothly which make user experience better.
→ Enhanced Security - HTTP/3 integrates TLS 1.3 by default which provides robust encryption and reduces vulnerabilities.
Common HTTP Status Codes
HTTP status codes are the web way of letting you know how a request was handled by server or machine. Below there are some common HTTP status codes -
→ 100 OK - The request has been received and the process is on going.
→ 200 OK - The request was successful and the server returned the response data/resource.
→ 301 Moved Permanently - The requested resource has been permanently moved to a new url.
→ 302 Found - The data is temporarily located at a different url.
→ 400 Bad Request - The server could not understand the request due to invalid syntax.
→ 401 Unauthorized - Authentication is required to access the data/resource.
→ 403 Forbidden - You are not allowed to access the data/resource.
→ 404 Not Found - The server could not find the requested data/resource.
→ 500 Internal Server Error - The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
→ 503 Service Unavailable - The server is temporarily unable to handle the request often due to overload or maintenance.
HTTP Methods and Their Use Cases
HTTP methods are the action to be performed on a data/resource. Here are the most common ones -
→ GET - Retrieve data from a server. Its like fetching a webpage or an API response. Example - Viewing a blog post.
→ POST - Send data to the server to create or update a data/resource. Its like submitting a form or posting a comment. Example - Registering a user account.
→ PUT - Update an existing data/resource or create it if it does not exist. Its lile updating a user profile. Example - Editing a blog post.
→ DELETE - Delete a data/resource on the server. Its like removing a user account. Example - Deleting a comment on a post.
→ PATCH - Apply partial modifications to a resource. Its like updating just one field in a record. Example - Changing the status of an order.
→ HEAD - Similar to GET but only retrieves the headers not the body of the response. Its useful for checking if a data/resource exists. Example - Checking if a file is available for download.
→ CONNECT - Establish a tunnel to the server which is used with HTTPS for SSL/TLS connections. Example - Securely connecting to a proxy server.
NOTE → Identifying HTTPS websites is easy just look for the padlock icon in your browser address bar and also check that the URL starts with “https://” instead of “http://”.
Conclusion
HTTP to HTTPS / HTTP3 is not just a simple update its about ensuring trust, security and privacy of data. User data is safe while using websites. So the next time you browse the website take a moment to notice the padlock icon its a small icon but an important symbol of secure communication over the internet.
Thanks for reading this far.