Five minutes to help you understand the difference between Http and Https protocols?

In the Internet world, HTTP and HTTPS are the two protocols we come into contact with most in our daily lives. They have important differences in data transmission and security.

Without spending too much time, let’s take a succinct look at the key differences between HTTP and HTTPS and uncover the mysteries of network communication for you.

1. What is HTTP protocol?

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a protocol used to transfer hypertext between computers.

It is one of the most widely used protocols on the Internet, used to transfer data between web browsers and web servers.

HTTP is a stateless, connectionless protocol. Each request-response interaction is independent and the server does not retain any information between two requests.

HTTP is based on the client-server model, where the client is the party that initiates the request and the server is the party that provides the service.

Typically, the client is the web browser used by the user, and the server is the computer that stores and serves web pages.

The basic workflow of HTTP includes:

• Establish a link: The client establishes a connection with the server through the TCP/IP protocol, and the default port is 80.
• Send request: The client sends an HTTP request to the server. The request contains information such as the request method (GET, POST, etc.), the path of the target resource, and the protocol version.
• Processing requests: After receiving the request, the server processes it based on the content of the request and the resources on the server.
• Send response: The server sends an HTTP response to the client. The response contains information such as status code, response header, and response body.
• Closing the connection: After a request-response is completed, the connection can be closed or maintained for subsequent requests.

HTTP defines a variety of request methods, including:

• GET: Get resources from the server.
• POST: Submit data to the server to update resources.
• PUT: Create or update a resource on the server.
• DELETE: Deletes a resource from the server.

The HTTP protocol is the basis for building numerous applications on the Internet. It enables the easy transmission of hypertext content such as text, images, audio, and video between computers around the world.

2. What is HTTPs protocol?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP. It ensures the security and privacy of data transmission by adding an encryption layer between HTTP and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The predecessor of TLS was SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), but it had some security issues and was therefore replaced by TLS.

The main goal of HTTPS is to prevent data from being eavesdropped, tampered with, or forged by encrypting the communication content.

It adds a secure TLS/SSL layer between HTTP and TCP, which uses public key cryptography to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of communications.

Here’s how HTTPS works:

• Handshake process: The client initiates a connection request with the server, and the server returns a digital certificate (including the public key) and the encryption algorithm supported by the server.
• Key exchange: The client encrypts a randomly generated symmetric key using the server's public key and sends it back to the server.
• Establish a secure connection: The server uses the private key to decrypt the random key sent by the client, and both use this random key to encrypt and decrypt the communication content.
• Secure transmission: The client and server use the negotiated symmetric key for encryption and decryption to ensure the confidentiality of the communication content.

The advantages of HTTPS include:

• Data encryption: Prevent third-party eavesdropping by encrypting communication content.
• Authentication: Verify the server's identity through digital certificates to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Data integrity: Encryption and digital signatures ensure that data is not tampered with during transmission.

HTTPS is often used to protect the transmission of sensitive information, such as login information, payment information, etc., making the communication between users and websites more secure and reliable.

Most websites use HTTPS to provide a higher level of security when handling user data.

3. What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) are two different protocols with some key differences in data transfer and security:

1) Security:

• HTTP: It is a plain text transmission protocol. Data is not encrypted during transmission and can be easily eavesdropped and tampered with by a third party.
• HTTPS: Uses TLS/SSL protocol for encryption, which ensures the security and privacy of data transmission by adding an encryption layer between HTTP and the transport layer.

2) Default Port:

• HTTP: Use port 80 by default.
• HTTPS: Uses port 443 by default.

3) Protocol identification:

• HTTP: The URL begins with "http://".
• HTTPS: The URL starts with "https://".

4) Data transmission method:

• HTTP: Transmitted in plain text, data is not encrypted.
• HTTPS: Use TLS/SSL encryption to protect the security of data during transmission.

5) Certificates:

• HTTP: No digital certificate is required.
• HTTPS: Requires a digital certificate to authenticate the server.

6) Connection method:

• HTTP: stateless, each request and response is independent.
• HTTPS: stateless, each request and response is independent, but the security of communication is ensured through encryption.

7) Usage scenarios:

• HTTP: Suitable for scenarios that do not involve the transmission of sensitive information, such as general web browsing.
• HTTPS: Applicable to scenarios where user privacy and sensitive information transmission need to be protected, such as login and payment.

In general, HTTPS adds a security layer on top of HTTP, protecting the security of data transmission through encryption and authentication.

In scenarios involving user privacy and sensitive information, it is strongly recommended to use HTTPS to provide a higher level of security and trust.