You may have seen this in the web browser address bar. HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol and HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure. Having read that, you may feel none the wiser.
Basically HTTP is the communication method between your web browser sitting on your desktop or mobile device and the actual website that is hosted on another computer somewhere else. The internet is essentially a means of connecting lots of people’s computers together. Your web browser acts like a reading sort of software. The content actually comes from other computers. How it gets to your computer is via HTTP.
HTTPS and Staying Secure
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP. What does that really mean? Well HTTP does not use any kind of encryption to disguise the information transferred between computers. Why do you need to disguise information? Very often you don’t need to. Particularly if the information being transferred is in the public domain and open to being shared freely. Personal blogs and online photo journals etc. are intended for a wide audience to share freely with others. However, some information needs to remain secret or secure, information such as your address and credit card details. Unfortunately information sent via HTTP can be intercepted by others. Using HTTPS ensures that information is encrypted and protected.