Let me spell it. Many people do not know it correctly; even some so called techies.
A few days ago a client from USA asked me, “Is it necessary to have https if I want users of my site to provide their credit card details?” I replied, “Yes, 100%” – he asked me again, “Are you sure?” – Good god, he has over 25 years of experience in IT industry! He runs a firm which provides services in IT, Management and Consultancy.
Both are transport protocols. Transport protocols used for information to be passed back and forth between web servers and web browsers (clients).
Http:// stands for Hypertext Transport Protocol
Https:// stands for Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol
What does ‘S’ do in https://? It stands for security. When you visit a website, look at the address in the browser’s address bar. Does it show http:// as the first 7 characters of the web address?
If yes then it means that the website is communicating with web server using standard unsecured way and it is possible for someone to earwig on your computer’s communication with the web server. This provides a possibility for your sensitive data to be hacked.
If you fill out a form (or enter some text in the input-boxes provided) and submit it, someone might see the information you send to the web-server.
This is why you should NEVER EVER enter your important details like Credit Card Numbers or Bank Account details via unsecured http website.
If you ever provide your valuable information via internet, make sure that the website address starts with https:// – this encrypts your data before transferring onto web server and thus no-one can see your data without your knowledge.
Make sure that you are aware with this simple fact when entering your sensitive information.
Happy Browsing!
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