What is https ?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a protocol for secure communication over the internet.

It is an extension of the standard HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and uses an SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) certificate to encrypt data exchanged between a web server and a web browser.

The main advantage of HTTPS over regular HTTP is that it provides an additional layer of security by encrypting the data exchanged between a user's browser and the website. This makes it much more difficult for third parties to intercept or tamper with the data, which can include sensitive information such as login credentials or financial data.

HTTPS also provides authenticity by verifying that the website is the one it claims to be and that the SSL certificate is valid and issued by a trusted authority. This helps to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and ensures that the user is communicating with the intended website.

When a user accesses an HTTPS website, their browser will establish a secure connection with the web server using the SSL/TLS certificate. This certificate contains information about the website's identity and a public key used to encrypt the data exchanged between the browser and the server.

When a user accesses an HTTP website, their data is sent in clear text, which means that it can be intercepted and read by anyone on the same network. With HTTPS, the data is encrypted, which makes it much more difficult for anyone to intercept or read.

There are different types of SSL/TLS certificates, and the most common are:

• Domain validation (DV) certificates: These are the most basic type of certificate and only verify that the applicant owns the domain name.
• Organization validation (OV) certificates: These certificates provide more information about the organization and are issued after verifying the organization's legal, physical, and operational existence.
• Extended validation (EV) certificates: These certificates provide the most information and are issued after a thorough verification process, including verification of the organization's legal, physical, and operational existence.

HTTPS has become increasingly important in recent years, as more and more websites are using it to protect sensitive information and to improve search engine rankings. Google has announced that it uses HTTPS as a ranking signal and that websites using HTTPS may have an advantage in search results over those using HTTP.

In summary, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a protocol for secure communication over the internet. It is an extension of the standard HTTP and uses an SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) certificate to encrypt data exchanged between a web server and a web browser.

This encryption provides an additional layer of security by making it much more difficult for third parties to intercept or tamper with the data, which can include sensitive information such as login credentials or financial data. Additionally, HTTPS provides authenticity by verifying that the website is the one it claims to be and that the SSL certificate is valid and issued by a trusted authority, which helps to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and ensures that the user is communicating with the intended website.