HTTPS stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.”
It’s a protocol for transmitting data securely over the internet. This protocol adds a layer of security to the standard HTTP protocol by encrypting the data sent between a user’s browser and the website they’re accessing.
There are several reasons why HTTPS is necessary:
- Security: By encrypting data, HTTPS helps prevent sensitive information from being intercepted by third parties during transmission.
- Privacy: The encryption helps to protect users’ privacy by preventing others from being able to see the content of the data they send or receive.
- Authentication: HTTPS verifies the website’s identity, ensuring that the user is communicating with the correct website and not an impostor.
In the past, HTTPS was primarily used by e-commerce websites and other sites that handle sensitive information, such as financial information and passwords.
However, with the increasing amount of sensitive information being transmitted over the internet, the use of HTTPS has become more widespread.
HTTPS is now the de-facto standard for accessing websites around the world.
What does HTTPS solve, why use it?
One problem that HTTPS solves is man-in-the-middle attacks, which occur when a third party intercepts the communication between a user and a website and modifies the data being sent.
With HTTPS, this type of attack is much harder to execute because the data is encrypted.
When did we move from HTTP to HTTPS?
The move from HTTP to HTTPS has been ongoing for several years and has accelerated in recent times, certainly almost a permanent standard since the early 2010s.
However, there’s no single date that marks the transition from HTTP to HTTPS.
In recent years, major web browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have started to label HTTP websites as “not secure,” encouraging website owners to switch to HTTPS.
And HTTPS helps with SEO?
Search engines like Google have started to give preference to HTTPS websites in their search results, further incentivizing website owners to make the switch.
We now know that the use of HTTPS ensures proper signals are sent to search engines like Google and Bing – many believe this is a core ranking factor, and for good reason.
Conclusion
All links should use HTTPS to ensure the security and privacy of users and to prevent security related website attacks.
By ensuring that websites can only be access via HTTPS through the hosting environment, and users are only given HTTPS links, website owners and marketing teams can demonstrate their commitment to protecting the sensitive information of their users.