What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS protocols?

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a data transfer protocol used for exchanging information between a client (browser) and a server. Data is transmitted in plain text.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP. It uses encryption protocols (SSL/TLS) to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted data.

Main differences:

Characteristic	HTTP	HTTPS
Security	Data is transmitted in plain text	Data is encrypted (SSL/TLS)
Default port	80	443
Certificate	Not required	Requires an SSL/TLS certificate
Encryption	Not present	Present
Application	For non-sensitive data	For sites with personal information, online stores
Performance	Slightly faster (no encryption)	Slightly slower (encryption overhead)

HTTPS protects against:

• Data interception (man-in-the-middle attacks).
• Data modification during transmission.
• Server impersonation.

To implement HTTPS on a server, an SSL/TLS certificate is installed.