What is the difference between http and https?
The answer is simple and important for both users and site administrators to understand.
HTTP
HiText Transference Protocol is the default protocol for the web. Through it, your browser requests a server for web pages.Thanks to HTTP, you access blogs, send forms, emails and etc.
HTTP is insecure because it is text-based only, which allows intruders to intercept, alter, and steal the transferred information. That’s where HTTPs comes in.
HTTPs
The difference between HTTP and HTTPs is security. The “s” in HTTPS stands for security.
An extra layer of security, the SSL certificate, is added to the HTTP protocol. This encrypts the transferred content and only allows its reading to those who have a key to “open it”. All this goes on behind the scenes. The only things a user can do, is observe if there is a padlock followed by “https” in the URL (address) of the site, especially in virtual stores and sites that require any registration or login.
Advantages of browsing or having HTTPs site
Both the visitor and the site administrator benefit from the SSL certificate, which guarantees security for both parties . For virtual stores, this is essential!
Secure data transfer
The HTTPs protocol is encrypted and prevents third parties from accessing your content. This means that bank details, passwords and other information arrive intact to the recipient.
Privacy maintained
Well, if the data that you send to a particular site is armored and accessible only to those who have permission, your privacy is stored.It’s like sending a package in the mail and no one snooping on what’s inside.
SEO: credibility with Google
For security and privacy on the web, Google has added page security as an SEO factor (one of the many criterias for positioning the site in search results).
Do your part
Now that you know the difference between HTTP, HTTPs and the benefits of a secure website, you can now do your part as an administrator.If you’re thinking of getting to the top of Google’s results and reassuring your customers, consider making your site more secure with SSL certificate (https). This is possible even for those who have no technical knowledge.
Precautions
It’s good to remember that HTTPS is not perfect. Even if you have this type of connection active on your website, be aware of fraud attempts. There are cases of phishing that take the user to sites with HTTPS, but, in fact, it is a fake page. What these cyber criminals do is create a secure connection between you and a fake server. In other situations, some sites mimic the lock symbol to attract users, or even change the site’s icon so you believe it is safe.
As long as you know that the site you have accessed is “real”, always try to opt for a secure connection. Although not infallible, HTTPS is certainly more secure than a conventional protocol.
