Exploring the Differences Between HTTP & HTTPS Protocols

What is HTTP?

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a protocol used to communicate between web browsers and web servers. It is used to transfer hypertext documents (webpages) from a server to a client machine. HTTP is the most widely used protocol on the internet.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is an extension of the HTTP protocol that adds an extra layer of security. HTTPS uses an encryption protocol called Transport Layer Security (TLS) to ensure that all data sent between a web server and a web browser is secure and encrypted. This means that any sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and passwords, is kept safe.

Difference between HTTP and HTTPS

• Security: The main difference between HTTP and HTTPS is that HTTPS is more secure than HTTP. HTTPS uses TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol to encrypt all data sent between the server and the client, whereas HTTP does not have any security mechanism.
• Port: HTTP uses port 80 for communication, whereas HTTPS uses port 443.
• URL: HTTP URLs begin with "http://", whereas HTTPS URLs begin with "https://".
• Connection: HTTP uses an unencrypted connection, whereas HTTPS uses an encrypted connection

 

What is the Layer of HTTP or HTTPS?

HTTP and HTTPS both use the Application layer of the OSI Reference Model.

The Application layer is responsible for providing communication services directly to user applications. It defines protocols that applications use for exchanging data over a network. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) are application-layer protocols used for communication between clients and servers on the World Wide Web.

HTTP is a non-secure protocol, which means that data is transmitted in plain text and can be intercepted and read by anyone with access to the network. HTTPS, on the other hand, is a secure version of HTTP that uses encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the client and server.

HTTPS uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) or its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to provide secure communication over the network. TLS/SSL operates at the Transport layer of the OSI Reference Model, which is responsible for providing reliable, end-to-end communication between applications. However, HTTPS is still considered an Application layer protocol because it is implemented as a layer on top of HTTP.

In summary, both HTTP and HTTPS operate at the Application layer of the OSI Reference Model, while HTTPS additionally uses TLS/SSL at the Transport layer to provide secure communication.