{"id":42080,"date":"2023-01-08T15:00:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-08T14:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=42080"},"modified":"2023-01-06T14:00:59","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T13:00:59","slug":"http-vs-https","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/http-vs-https\/","title":{"rendered":"HTTP vs HTTPS: Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The question of your website\u2019s security should always be on your mind, whether you like it or not. Even if you have a website that seems small and inconsequential \u2013 nothing to be targeted by hackers \u2013 it can still be hacked and used to attack someone else. Security matters a lot when you\u2019re online and since your website is always online, well, it\u2019s always a potential target. If you have a WordPress website, there\u2019s a whole <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/ultimate-wordpress-security-checklist\/\">checklist of security things<\/a> you could be doing to improve security, with lesser known but equally important methods such as <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/http-security-headers-wordpress\/\">using HTTP security headers<\/a> on top of it. But to get there, you need to cover the basics, and to that, you need to be clear on the HTTP vs HTTPS dilemma.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]To be perfectly honest, the verdict that HTTPS is the superior choice has been in for a while now. Even in case your website doesn\u2019t technically need it, the fact that browsers treat HTTP and HTTPS addresses differently should nudge you in the direction of HTTPS. Still, it\u2019s good to always ask questions, and we\u2019ll try to answer the most important ones in this article. You\u2019ll learn:<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-is-http\">What Is HTTP?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-is-https\">What Is HTTPS?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#http-vs-https\">HTTP vs HTTPS \u2013 Practical Implications<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;new-top-picks-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-is-http\"><\/a>What Is HTTP?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTP.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What Is HTTP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTP.jpg 970w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTP-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTP-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTP-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or HTTP, is one of the protocols that enable the internet as we know it today to exist.<\/strong> Whenever you use a web browser to access a page on your favorite website \u2013 or whenever a visitor tries to access a page on your website \u2013 HTTP is used to facilitate the exchange of data that leads to a page being displayed in the browser. <strong>It tells a browser and a server how to talk to each other.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]It\u2019s not the only protocol involved in the exchange, as it works on top of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) which itself works in conjunction with the Internet Protocol (IP). <strong>Each of these protocols plays a different role<\/strong> \u2013 TCP, for example, makes sure that information packets are transferred reliably, while IP helps with routing and addressing the packets.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Each works in its own layer, too. TCP is a transport layer protocol, while IP is a network layer protocol. These layers have their own numbers, too \u2013 the transport layer is layer 4, while the network layer is layer 3. <strong>The layer to which HTTP belongs, the application layer, is layer 7.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]HTTP is a client-server protocol. <strong>The communication within the protocol starts when the client \u2013 a web browser \u2013 initiates it.<\/strong> The client will send messages, which are called requests, containing the request line, which detail which information it wants to fetch from the server, and request headers, which provide further instructions on the request. The server will then respond with a message called a response, which contains a status line, response headers, and the information requested by the client.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-is-https\"><\/a>What Is HTTPS?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder    \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"554\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTPS.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What Is HTTPS\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTPS.jpg 970w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTPS-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTPS-768x439.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/What-Is-HTTPS-620x354.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]One of the key traits of HTTP is that it\u2019s simple. Really simple. <strong>So simple that you can read it and understand it.<\/strong> HTTP was built that way because it makes it much easier for developers to work with it, on top of making it more accessible in general. Even the new updates on the original HTTP protocol have kept the same level of simplicity.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Unfortunately, though, this also means that if someone were to get a hold of the messages exchanged using HTTP, they too would be able to read and understand them.<\/strong> A special kind of software called packet analyzers, or packet sniffers, can do just that. While they certainly have legitimate uses in network management, they also tend to be used by hackers who want to capture the packets and extract any valuable information from them. <strong>That\u2019s why you don\u2019t send credit card numbers over HTTP. You do it over HTTPS.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is the appropriately named secure version of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol. <strong>When it was first implemented, it added another protocol \u2013 the Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL \u2013 to the communication protocols bundle with the sole purpose to encrypt the communication.<\/strong> That way, even if someone would get their hands on a package, they wouldn\u2019t be able to read it \u2013 only the server and the client would have the key to decrypt the information and make it readable.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Today, SSL is no longer in use, as it was allowed to retire after being succeeded by another encryption protocol called Transport Layer Security. We still use the initialism SSL because the world just kind of got used to it. <strong>But the important thing is that it\u2019s possible to have the connection between a client and a server encrypted, and when it is we call that HTTPS.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"http-vs-https\"><\/a>HTTP vs HTTPS \u2013 Practical Implications<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"969\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/HTTP-vs-HTTPS.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"HTTP vs HTTPS\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/HTTP-vs-HTTPS.jpg 969w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/HTTP-vs-HTTPS-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/HTTP-vs-HTTPS-768x411.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/HTTP-vs-HTTPS-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]So if HTTP is everywhere but it\u2019s not secure, and HTTPS is an improvement on it in terms of security, why would someone decide not to use HTTPS? <strong>There is no reason at all.<\/strong> The web is moving towards HTTPS as the new standard, if it\u2019s not there already, and most of the kinks have been worked out from it so that the barrier to adoption is almost non-existent.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Thanks to the different kinds of SSL certificates, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-choose-the-ssl-certificate-for-your-wordpress\">choose an SSL certificate<\/a> that fits your exact needs.<strong> You won\u2019t be overburdened by having to pay for something that\u2019ll be overkill for your website.<\/strong> You won\u2019t need to pay at all \u2013 you can <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-add-free-ssl-certificate-wordpress\/\">add a free SSL certificate<\/a> to your website. It\u2019s easy if you use WordPress, too \u2013 you know there\u2019ll be <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/best-ssl-plugin-for-wordpress\/\">SSL plugins<\/a> to make the whole installation process a breeze. If you want to be thorough, however, you can also choose the <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/add-ssl-wordpress\">manual SSL installation method<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]It&#8217;s possible that your website simply doesn\u2019t need a security certificate, as you don\u2019t handle any sensitive or valuable data. <strong>Even if that were the case, you would still want to install an SSL certificate on your website.<\/strong> Web browsers now standardly display the type of connection in the address bar. Having the words \u201cnot secure\u201d or an equivalent symbol appear next to your website\u2019s address is a bad look, even if you only have a portfolio website that doesn\u2019t ask its visitors to leave any important information.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">Let\u2019s Wrap It Up!<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]You should be happy to know that, even though the internet is a place that\u2019s full of dark corners where trouble looms, there are constant efforts to make it safer and more secure. The introduction of encryption to HTTP communication was a big step forward in the right direction. So if HTTP vs HTTPS was a fight that\u2019s been going on at all, HTTPS came out of it as the clear winner.<br \/>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Still on the fence regarding the HTTP vs HTTPS choice? It&#8217;s high time to adopt HTTPS if you haven&#8217;t &#8211; and we&#8217;ll tell you all you need to know about it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9295,"featured_media":42095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[330,337,340,13],"class_list":["post-42080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-basics","tag-http","tag-web","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}