The similarities and differences between HTTP and HTTPS

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol based on Secure Sockets Layer or HTTP over SSL) is a WEB protocol developed by Netscape.

You can also say:HTTPS = HTTP + SSL

HTTPS uses the Secure Sockets layer as a child layer on the basis of the HTTP application layer.

Why HTTPS is required:

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a protocol used to transmit and receive information over the Internet. HTTP uses a request/response process, so information can be transmitted quickly, easily, and precisely across the server. When you visit the Web page you are using the HTTP protocol, but HTTP is not secure, you can easily eavesdrop on the data transmission between you and the Web server. In many cases, a sensitive rest is transmitted between the client and the server and needs to be protected from unauthorized access. To meet this requirement, Netscape (Netscape) introduced HTTPS, the HTTP protocol based on Secure Sockets Layer.

The same points for HTTP and HTTPS:

In most cases, HTTP and HTTPS are the same because both are based on the same underlying protocol as the HTTP or HTTPS client-browser, which establishes a connection to the specified port on the WEB server. When the server receives the request, it returns a status code along with the message, which may be a request for information, or an error message that indicates an error was sent. The system uses the Uniform Resource Locator URI pattern, so resources can be uniquely specified. The only difference between HTTPS and HTTP is that the protocol header (HTTPS) is the only one, and the others are the same.

The difference between HTTP and HTTPS:

1. The URL for HTTP starts with/HTTP, and the URL for HTTPS starts with https://
2. HTTP is not secure, and HTTPS is secure
3. The HTTP standard port is 80, while the standard port for HTTPS is 443
4. In the OSI network model, HTTP works on the application layer, while HTTPS works on the transport layer
5. HTTP does not require encryption, while HTTPS encrypts transmitted data
6. HTTP does not require a certificate, and HTTPS requires an authentication certificate

How does HTTPS work?

When using HTTPS connections, the server requires a public key and a signed certificate.

When using an HTTPS connection, the server responds to the initial connection and provides the encryption methods it supports. In response, the client chooses a connection method, and the client and server-side Exchange certificates authenticate each other. When you are done, transfer the encrypted information and then close the connection, making sure that the same key is used. In order to provide HTTPS connection support, the server must have a public key certificate that contains the certificate authority-certified key information, most of which are authorized by a third-party authority to ensure that the certificate is secure.

In other words, HTTPS, like HTTP, only adds SSL.

HTTP contains the following actions:

1. Browser opens a TCP connection
2. The browser sends an HTTP request to the server side
3. The server sends HTTP response information to the browser
4. TCP Connection shutdown

SSL includes the following actions:

1. Verify Server-side
2. Allow client and server to select encryption algorithms and passwords to ensure both sides support
3. Verify the client (optional)
4. Use public key cryptography to generate shared encrypted data
5. Create an encrypted SSL connection
6. Passing HTTP requests based on this SSL connection

When should I use HTTPS?

Bank websites, payment gateways, shopping sites, landing pages, e-mail, and some enterprise department sites should use HTTPS, for example:

PayPal: https://www.paypal.com

Google AdSense: https://www.google.com/adsense/

If a website asks you to fill out credit card information, first you need to check whether the webpage uses HTTPS encrypted connection, if not, then please do not enter any sensitive information such as credit card number.

Browser integration

Most browsers display a warning message when they receive an invalid certificate, and some older browsers pop up a dialog box to let the user choose whether to continue browsing. The new browser typically displays a banner warning message throughout the window, while displaying security information for the site on the address bar. If your site contains encrypted and non-encrypted mixed content, most browsers will prompt for warning messages.

The similarities and differences between HTTP and HTTPS