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HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol with Secure, a secure version of HTTP, enabling secure communication with websites through encryption. To grasp the disparity between HTTPS and HTTP, you can refer to the comparison between HTTPS and HTTP here.
Instead of being in plain text, all data is encrypted before being sent to the website's server. This helps prevent attackers (even governments) from tracking and viewing this data.
When using the HTTP standard, attackers can employ tools to observe your online activities, read your browsing history, or even pilfer usernames, passwords, personal, and financial information.
However, transitioning to HTTPS ensures that all this information is encrypted before being transmitted to or from a website. Consequently, attackers have no means to disrupt the process and access this data.
Of course, nobody can guarantee whether these encryptions might be breached in the future.
The Risks of Using the HTTP Standard
The biggest risk arises when you access a website using the HTTP standard. Your web browser seeks the appropriate IP address for the requested website with the assistance of a DNS server. It then connects to the IP address and retrieves data to display the exact webpage, as well as send necessary data for communication with the website, such as logging in or conducting transactions. Nowadays, there are various fast DNS servers available to users to bypass network restrictions imposed by ISPs. You can find and utilize these fastest DNS servers on the internet or through Mytour.
However, all data is transmitted in plain text without encryption. Consequently, attackers can use appropriate tools (or ones allowed, such as your ISP or government intelligence agencies) to easily view the websites you're accessing, as well as the data you're sending and receiving.
But do you know what's worse? There's no way to verify that you're accessing the correct website. For instance, if you're accessing a specific website with the domain:
www.abcxyz.com
Through HTTP, it will display the correct webpage as you usually see. However, if you're using a public network, hackers can create a fake website and redirect you to it.
Essentially, these fake websites resemble real ones, but their main purpose is to steal your data, such as credit card information. The most common trick is to create fake online banking services like Paypal.com or Google Wallet, then attack the network (or create a fake free Wi-Fi network) and redirect users to these fake websites to collect personal information, passwords, and bank account details.
The issue is that users cannot recognize these fake websites because there are no warnings on browsers. Furthermore, when you enter details (such as usernames and passwords) into these fake websites, they redirect you to the correct website, where you need to provide the information again. At that point, you might think the website is faulty, rather than realizing it's a fake one.
With HTTPS, there's no way to create such fake websites. With the assistance of an SSL certificate, your browser verifies the URL, IP address, and SSL certificate of each website to ensure it's legitimate. If it's a fake website, you'll receive one of several warnings such as: Your connection is not private, This connection is untrusted, or Your connection is not secure, depending on the browser you are using.
Currently, there are two types of SSL certificates: free and paid. For inexperienced users, it's difficult to differentiate between the two. If interested, you can refer to a review of free and paid SSL certificates here.
Clearly, when exploring what HTTPS is and why it should replace HTTP, you'll find HTTPS much safer than regular HTTP.
That's also why users are advised to use HTTPS when making payments or placing orders.
In addition to protecting your sensitive information, HTTPS also safeguards your privacy when performing regular tasks, such as searching for something on Google.com. With HTTPS, no one can know what you're searching for or viewing on the Internet, not even your Internet service provider or government organizations.
In terms of online security, HTTPS is undoubtedly quite secure.
How to Identify You're Connected to an HTTPS Website
It's quite simple to recognize when you're connected to an HTTPS standard website. If the URL in the browser address bar starts with https://. Additionally, there's a green padlock icon. Sometimes it also includes the name of a company or organization, depending on the type of SSL certificate the website uses. To view information about the website and its encryption, you click on the green padlock icon.
However, it will depend on the web browser you're using as each browser displays HTTPS differently.
Example:
This is how an HTTPS website appears in the Google Chrome browser.
Or in the Firefox browser.
And the Microsoft Edge browser.
A few months ago, Google Chrome began categorizing and marking HTTP and HTTPS websites with the Not Secure and Secure tags on the address bar.
So, if logging into your Paypal.com account, making payments, or placing orders, it's best to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
From a webmaster's perspective, Google has proposed and rewarded websites using HTTPS with a change to achieve a better position in their colossal search engine, something many website owners are striving for. However, switching to HTTPS doesn't guarantee your website will have a higher position in the search engine results list. It's just one additional factor among all the other ranking factors.
If you receive any of the warnings mentioned above, or can't find the HTTPS indicator when accessing a login page, the network you're connecting to may be compromised. Therefore, refrain from entering any sensitive information, such as passwords, bank accounts, or credit card details.
If you're concerned about forgetting to use HTTPS, you can utilize a plugin called HTTPS Everywhere. This plugin will enforce your browser to use HTTPS all the time if the website is supported. If not, it will redirect to HTTP. You can download and install this utility for your browser here: Download HTTPS Everywhere
However, at this time, the HTTPS Everywhere plugin is only available for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Opera browsers.
Nevertheless, don't solely rely on the HTTPS lock icons in your browser without considering the security of your computer or devices. Of course, you'll need to actively protect your computer and all other devices from threats, as hackers can find and exploit various ways to access your data.
Above are all the insights into what HTTPS is and why you should use HTTPS instead of HTTP that Mytour wants to share with its readers. Hopefully, after reading this article, you'll have more knowledge about security to safeguard your important data and avoid threats and hacker attacks.
