What is HTTPs & How it Keeps Your Data Secure?

With the increase in cyber-attacks worldwide, companies need to find a way to keep their websites immune to them. As a Company or website, the data security of its customers should be its number one priority.

To bring forth the gravity of the situation, Did you know that Globally, 30,000 websites are hacked daily? This number may sound insignificant to you, but the people affected by this are huge.

Having said this, companies need to come up with solutions to regularly update their security protocols. One solution for this could be the use of HTTPS as compared to HTTP.

So the question here is, how can HTTPS help you to keep your data secure from these attacks? Let’s dive deeper to understand why HTTPS has become indispensable for websites to secure their data.

What is HTTPS and How is it Different From HTTP?

To Understand HTTPs better you first have to know about HTTP. So, let’s Start

HTTP: It stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. As the name suggests, it is a method by which the data of the web pages are transferred over a network. Let us understand it with an Example. Suppose you are searching What is HTTPS? on your Internet Browser. Here your browser creates a request to be sent to the server, which in turn will provide you with the result of the query to be displayed on SERP. It is rightfully said that HTTP is the backbone of the WWW. Why? Because HTTP facilitates the transmission of resources from servers to the client’s side.

The one drawback of the HTTP that led us to HTTPS is that the data transfer between the servers and the client is not secure. With HTTP, the sensitive information of your customers, such as Credit Card details, gets vulnerable to a cyber attack.

HTTPS and How it Works?: It is nothing but the encrypted version of HTTP. The one thing that sets it apart from HTTP is that the data that is transferred between the Server and the receiver is Secured. HTTP uses a secure certificate from a third party Vendor to secure the communication. The Certificate is also used to legitimate the site to which the request has been made from the user’s side.

The communication here is encrypted with the help of TLS, which stands for Transport Layer Security.

Note: Did you know that TLS was previously known as SSL ( Secure Socket Layer)?

What is TLS?

As you already know, TLS is a Security Protocol. It helps you to secure email, messaging and other protocols. It encrypts the communication between web applications and servers. TLS is usually issued by a Certified authority to businesses or Domains. When a user navigates a website, TLS begins between Browser and the Server. It sets the matching Session keys over an unsecured channel with the help of Public Key Cryptography.

In Simpler terms, TLS + HTTP= HTTPS

What are the Functions of TLS?

• Encryption: With this feature, TLS hides the data that is being transferred from a third party.
• Verification: TLS makes sure that the parties involved in the communication, that is, you and the server, are who they claim to be.
• Integrity: It verifies that the data transferred has not been breached or tampered with by any third party.

How does TLS work?

1. Firstly, the TLS certificate should be on its origin server. It contains the servers’ public key and information about the owner of the domain.
2. It is then followed by a sequence known as TLS Handshake, during which the server and client:

• Specify the version of TLS to be used.
• Will decide on which Cipher suite to be used.
• Verify the identity of the server.
• Generate session keys for encrypting messages after the handshake is completed.
• Once the data is authenticated and encrypted, it is signed with MAC for the client to verify. MAC stands for Message Authentication Code.

How does HTTPS help SEO?

• Credibility: HTTPS makes your website credible in the eyes of the user. An HTTPS icon on the URL ensures the users that the information filled in on the websites will be safe. It makes the user stay on your website and takes action.

• Ranking: Did you know that “Google announced way back in 2014 that HTTPS is a Ranking factor”? So Companies should make sure that their websites run with HTTPS rather than HTTP for them to rank better on Search Engines.

• Security: We have already talked about this. But how does this impact SEO success? Well, If you have ever visited a website that does not have the HTTPS protocol, you might have felt unsafe to continue. This will lead to a high Bounce rate from your website which is bad for SEO Strategy. This is one of the key SEO ranking factors that will help you to attract more customers to your website.

Final Words!!

HTTPS is a more secure version of HTTP because it uses encryption to protect your data. When you visit a website that uses HTTPS, your data is encrypted and can only be read by the intended recipient. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to intercept your data and steal your personal information. By using HTTPS, you can be confident that your online activities are more secure. So, always look for the HTTPS protocol in the address bar of your web browser to ensure a secure online experience.