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HTTP vs HTTPS: Understanding Secure Communication and Protecting Your Data Online

HTTP vs HTTPS: Understanding Secure Communication and Protecting Your Data Online

Mohammed Saleh's photo
Mohammed Saleh
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2 min read

Table of contents

What is HTTP?

HTTP is the foundation of data communication on the web. It works as a request-response protocol where:

  • The browser (client) sends a request for a webpage.

  • The server processes the request and responds with the requested content (HTML, images, etc.).

However, HTTP has a critical flaw: it sends data in plain text. This means that sensitive information, like passwords or payment details, can be intercepted by malicious actors during transmission.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, integrating SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) to encrypt data. It ensures:

  1. Encryption: Data is scrambled during transmission, making it unreadable to anyone intercepting it.

  2. Authentication: HTTPS verifies the server’s identity using an SSL/TLS certificate.

  3. Data Integrity: It prevents data tampering during transfer.

What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols that provide secure communication over the internet. They are designed to protect data as it travels between a client (like a web browser) and a server (like a website). TLS is the more modern and secure successor to SSL, though the term "SSL" is often still used colloquially to refer to both.

Common HTTP Status Codes: What Do They Mean?

HTTP status codes are messages sent by servers to indicate the status of a browser's request. Here are the most common codes:

1xx: Informational Responses

  • 100 Continue: The request has been received, and the client can continue sending data.

2xx: Success

  • 200 OK: The request was successful, and the server returned the requested content.

  • 201 Created: A new resource has been created as a result of the request.

3xx: Redirection

  • 301 Moved Permanently: The resource has been permanently redirected to a new URL.

  • 302 Found: Temporary redirection; the resource is available at a different URL.

4xx: Client Errors

  • 400 Bad Request: The server could not understand the request due to invalid syntax.

  • 401 Unauthorized: Authentication is required for access.

  • 403 Forbidden: The server refuses to fulfill the request.

  • 404 Not Found: The server cannot find the requested resource.

5xx: Server Errors

  • 500 Internal Server Error: The server encountered an unexpected condition.

  • 503 Service Unavailable: The server is temporarily unable to handle the request.

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