“https” stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure.” It is a protocol used for secure communication over the internet. In simple terms, https is the secure version of http, which is the standard protocol for transmitting data on the web.

When you visit a website that uses http, the data you send and receive is transmitted in plain text. This means that anyone with access to the network can intercept and read your information, including passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data. https, on the other hand, uses encryption to secure the communication between your browser and the website's server. This encryption makes it much more difficult for attackers to intercept and read your data.

The main difference between http and https is the addition of SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) encryption. SSL/TLS uses a combination of public-key and private-key cryptography to encrypt the data being transmitted. When you connect to a website using https, your browser and the website's server establish a secure connection using SSL/TLS. This connection is then used to encrypt all the data that is sent between them.

To ensure the security of https connections, websites use digital certificates. A digital certificate is a digital document that verifies the identity of a website and its owner. When you visit a website using https, your browser checks the website's digital certificate to make sure that it is valid and issued by a trusted certificate authority. If the certificate is valid, your browser will establish a secure connection with the website's server.

In addition to encrypting the data being transmitted, https also provides other security features. For example, https can prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, where an attacker intercepts and modifies the communication between your browser and the website's server. https also provides integrity protection, which ensures that the data being transmitted has not been tampered with during transit.

Overall, https is an essential security feature for websites that handle sensitive information. By using https, websites can protect their users' data from being intercepted and read by attackers. It is important to always look for the https:// prefix in the address bar of a website when entering sensitive information. If a website does not use https, it is possible that your data could be at risk.

In conclusion, https is a critical component of internet security. It provides secure communication between your browser and websites, protecting your sensitive information from being intercepted and read by attackers. As more and more people become aware of the importance of online security, the use of https is likely to continue to grow. By using https, we can all help to create a more secure and trustworthy internet.