You may have heard about HTTP and HTTPS. In fact, if you look at your website URL, you will see that it is preceded by either HTTP or HTTPS. But what does it mean? But before we go there, we must understand what are hypertext links. Let us see more about them.
What are hypertext links?
Hypertext links are the backbone of the World Wide Web. Without them, we would be stuck with a bunch of static pages that we could only view one at a time. Hypertext links allow us to move around the web easily and quickly, making it the dynamic and user-friendly platform that it is today.
A hypertext link is simply a piece of text or an image that, when clicked on, takes you to another web page. The page you are taken to is typically related in some way to the page you were on originally. For example, if you were reading an article about the history of the American Revolution, you might find a hypertext link to a page about the Declaration of Independence.
Hypertext links are what make the internet such a powerful tool for research and information gathering. By following links from one page to another, you can quickly and easily find the information you are looking for.
When you click on a hypertext link, your browser sends a request to the server that hosts the website you’re trying to reach. The server then looks up the IP address for that website and sends your browser the web page you requested.
The process happens in a fraction of a second, and you’re able to click on links and surf the web without even thinking about how it all works.
What is HTTP?
HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is a communication protocol used on the World Wide Web. HTTP defines how clients, such as web browsers, and servers, such as web servers, communicate with each other. HTTP is a request-response protocol, which means that a client sends a request to a server, and the server responds to the request. The client can send a request for a specific resource, such as a web page, or it can send a request for an action, such as submitting a form. The server then responds to the request with the requested resource or action.
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website that you are connected to. HTTPS is encrypted, which means that the data that is sent between your browser and the website cannot be read by anyone who might intercept it. This makes HTTPS more secure than HTTP, and is the reason why it is often used for sensitive information such as online banking and online shopping.
Differences between HTTP and HTTPS?
Let us see some of the differences between HTTP and HTTPS.
SSL/TLS
The most significant difference between HTTPS and HTTP is that HTTPS uses SSL/TLS to encrypt communication between the server and the client. SSL/TLS is short for Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security. It is a protocol that provides communication security over the internet. SSL/TLS uses encryption to protect data in transit and prevent eavesdropping. It also uses authentication to verify the identity of the parties involved in the communication. This means that any data transmitted over HTTPS is much more secure and less likely to be intercepted by third parties.
Ports
HTTP uses port number 80 and HTTPS uses port number 443. The reason for this is that HTTP is a unsecured protocol, while HTTPS is a secured protocol. HTTPS uses SSL/TLS to encrypt communication, while HTTP does not.
Authentication
Both HTTP and HTTPS use a similar process for authenticating users. When a user attempts to access a resource, the server challenges the user with a set of credentials. The user then submits their credentials, and if they are valid, the server grants the user access to the resource.
HTTPS offers better authentication than HTTP by providing a more secure connection between the client and server. HTTPS uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to encrypt the communication, which makes it more difficult for third parties to intercept and tamper with the data. In addition, HTTPS includes a mechanism for verifying the identity of the server, which helps to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
Speed
There is no clear consensus on which is faster, HTTP or HTTPS. Some argue that HTTPS is faster because it uses a more efficient encryption algorithm. Others argue that HTTP is faster because it doesn’t have the overhead of encryption. Ultimately, the speed difference is likely to be negligible.
Do search engines prefer HTTP or HTTPS?
There isn’t a clear answer as to whether search engines, such as Google, prefer HTTP or HTTPS. However, HTTPS may have a slight advantage when it comes to ranking in search results. This is because HTTPS is a more secure protocol and thus, may be seen as a more trustworthy source of information by search engines. Additionally, HTTPS is becoming more common, so search engines may be giving preference to websites that have adopted this protocol in order to encourage more website owners to switch to HTTPS.
Conclusion
HTTP and HTTPS are two of the most commonly used protocols on the Internet. They both have their own advantages and disadvantages, but overall they are both very effective at what they do. HTTP is faster and more efficient, while HTTPS is more secure and reliable. Ultimately, the choice of which protocol to use depends on the specific needs of the user.
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