What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a data transfer protocol on the internet that operates without encryption. All data, including passwords and personal information, is transmitted in plain text, making it vulnerable to interception and "man-in-the-middle" attacks.

HTTPS (HTTP Secure) is an extension of HTTP that uses SSL/TLS to encrypt data between the client and server. This provides:

• Confidentiality — data is encrypted and cannot be read by third parties.
• Integrity — data cannot be altered without detection.
• Server authentication — the client verifies that it is connecting to the genuine server, not a fake.

Example: when entering a password on a website with HTTP, the data can be intercepted, whereas with HTTPS — it is transmitted in encrypted form, significantly increasing security.