HTTPS vs HTTP : All Thing You Should Know About HTTPS and HTTP

Web users may have noticed over the last year or so more and more web addresses shifting from HTTP to HTTPS. These two main methods for transferring data across the internet and the World Wide Web are known as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).

As you might well imagine, HTTPS has added an extra layer of security to web browsing than HTTP, with anybody and everybody’s browsing data now protected through encryption. The traditional HTTP method transmitted information as clear for all to see as if it was jotted down onto a piece of paper. 

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS is Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. so https is a secure version of HTTP. it uses port 443 for data communication.it is a combination of SSL and HTTP.  HTTPS allows a secure connection between the server and browsers. It offers bi-directional security of data.
only HTTPS required to be certified with SSL(secure sockets layer). 

What is HTTP?

HTTP is Hypertext Transfer Protocol, it set up the same rules on how any information can be transmitted on the www (world wide web). HTTP provides standard rules for web browsers & servers to communicate. It uses port 80 for data communication.

How HTTPS Works

HTTPS keeps your stuff secret by encrypting it as it moves between your browser and the website’s server. This ensures that anyone listening in on the conversation can’t read anything. this might include your ISP, a hacker, snooping governments, or anyone else who manages to position themselves between you and the webserver.

For a long time, SSL was the quality protocol used by HTTPS. the latest version of SSL is now called Transport Layer Security (TLS) but they're essentially a similar thing. I’ll refer to it from now on as SSL/TLS since both monikers are used interchangeably, but technically I’m talking about the newer TLS.

Essentially, you would like three things to encrypt data:
➨ The data you would like to encrypt
➨ A unique encryption key (just a long string of random text)
➨ An encryption algorithm (a math function that “garbles” the data)

You plug the data and the key into the algorithm and what comes out the opposite side is ciphertext. That is the encrypted form of your data which seems like gibberish.
To decrypt the ciphertext on the other end, you simply reverse the method with the same key and it reverses the encryption, restoring the original type of the data. It’s the secrecy of the encryption key that makes the entire process work. Only the intended recipients of the data should have it, or instead, the purpose is defeated.

When you use the same encryption key on both ends it’s called symmetric encryption. this is what your home WiFi uses. you've got only one key, or “password”, which you plug into both your wireless router and your laptop.

But it becomes more complicated when connecting to an internet site on the public internet. Symmetric encryption, by itself, won’t work because you don’t control the other end of the connection. How do you share a secret key with one another without the risk of someone on the internet intercepting it in the middle? This problem is solved with asymmetric encryption. Asymmetric means you’re using two different keys, one to encrypt and one to decrypt. We also call this Public Key Cryptography because it’s how we establish secure connections on the public internet.

How HTTP Works

HTTP is an application layer protocol built on top of TCP that uses a client-server communication model. HTTP clients and servers communicate through request-and-response messages. The three main HTTP message types are GET, POST, and HEAD.

➨ HTTP GET — messages sent to a server contain only a URL. Zero or more optional data parameters may be appended to the bottom of the URL. The server processes the optional data portion of the URL, if present, and returns the result (a website or element of a web page) to the browser.

➨ HTTP POST — messages place any optional data parameters in the body of the request message instead of adding them to the bottom of the URL.

➨ HTTP HEAD — requests work the same as getting requests. rather than replying with the complete contents of the URL, the server sends back only the header information (contained inside the HTML section).

The browser initiates communication with an HTTP server by initiating a TCP connection to the server. Web browsing sessions use server port 80 by default, although other ports like 8080 are sometimes used instead.
After a session is established, you trigger the sending and receiving of HTTP messages by visiting the web page.

HTTP is what's called a stateless system. What this implies is that unlike other file transfer protocols like FTP, the HTTP connection is dropped after the request has been completed. So, after your browser sends the request and therefore the server responds with the page, the connection is closed.

What Is the Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP and HTTPS are the prefixes to every URL on the web. HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. In terms of security, HTTP is completely fine when browsing the web. It only becomes an issue when you're entering sensitive data into form fields on a website. If you're entering sensitive data into an HTTP web page, that data is transmitted in clear text and can be read by anyone. Now let me give you an example. Let's say you have a website or shopping cart that your customers are visiting. If your customers enter sensitive data on that web page and its only HTTP, anyone has access to that data that may be listening. And those customer’s data are insecure. HTTPS is the solution to this problem. HTTPS uses an encryption protocol called Secure Sockets Layer, commonly known SSL. In fact, the S in HTTPS stands for security. Which is really what we all want. If a webpage has the prefix of HTTPS, that sensitive data is actually encrypted, making it much safer and harder for hackers to decipher. I understand the last thing we're looking at is the prefix a URL while browsing the internet. But let's think about this. If your customers are coming to your webpage shopping cart and they don't see the prefix HTTPS, they may be less likely to purchase from you because their data isn't secure. Our advice? If you have an e-commerce website or shopping cart and you want to know about HTTPS, speak with your web administrator and make sure they're helping you secure your customer's data.

➨ HTTP URL in your browser's address bar is http:// and the HTTPS URL is https://.
➨ HTTP is unsecured while HTTPS is secured.
➨ HTTP sends data over port 80 while HTTPS uses port 443.
➨ HTTP operates at the application layer, while HTTPS operates at the transport layer.
➨ No SSL certificates are required for HTTP, with HTTPS it is required that you have an SSL certificate and it is signed by a CA.
➨ HTTP doesn't require domain validation, whereas HTTPS requires at least domain validation and certain certificates even require legal document validation.
➨ No encryption in HTTP, with HTTPS the data is encrypted before sending.

How To Redirect HTTP to HTTPS

➨ Buy an SSL Certificate

It’s best to buy an SSL Certificate directly from your hosting company as they can ensure it is activated and installed correctly on your server.

➨ Install SSL Certificate on your web hosting account

Have your hosting company install the SSL Certificate. If you bought from a 3rd party, you’ll need to import the certificate into the hosting environment, which may be quite tricky without support.

➨ Double-check internal linking is switched to HTTPS

Before going live with the conversion, ensure every website link (internal) has the right HTTPS URL. Going live with links that mix HTTP and HTTPS will intricate readers, impact SEO, and cause some page features to load improperly.

➨ Set up 301 redirects so search engines are notified

Through a CMS plugin, you'll automatically redirect all server traffic to the new secure HTTPS protocol. Sites that don’t use a CMS will have to be updated manually. 301 redirects alert search engines that a change to your site has occurred and that they will need to index your site under the new protocol. Users who had previously bookmarked your site under the old unsecured protocol will now be routed to the correct secure URL.
In addition to providing server-to-browser security, activating and installing SSL certificates improves organic rankings, builds trust, and increases conversion rates.

Should I go for HTTP or HTTPS?

It all depends on your priority.
Website security is a big concern for all different types of websites.
HTTPS is always better than HTTP for security reasons. But it comes with extra overhead. If security is the first priority for you, use the System Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for the website.
If your website does not deal with any secure or private data (Ex. static website or blog), use HTTP.
It saves your money as you don’t require buying an SSL certificate and also leaves extra overhead of data and handshaking.
This is all about the advantages and disadvantages of HTTPs and HTTP.

Advantages and Disadvantages of HTTPS

Advantage of using HTTPS

➨ Secures your data-in-transit.
➨ Protects your website from Phishing, MITM, and other data breaches.
➨ Builds trust in your website visitors.
➨ Removes “NOT Secure” warnings.
➨ Help you improve website ranking.
➨ Help you boost revenue per user.

Disadvantages of HTTPS

➨ HTTPS Uses A Lot Of Server Resources. At one time this was an issue. 
➨ HTTPS Introduces Latencies. 
➨ Browser Caching Won't Work Properly. 
➨ You'll Need To Buy An SSL Certificate. 
➨ The Mixed Modes Issue. 
➨ Proxy Caching Problems.

Advantages and Disadvantage of HTTP

Advantages of HTTP

➨ It offers lower CPU and memory usage due to less simultaneous connections.
➨ It enables HTTP pipelining of requests/responses.
➨ It offers reduced network congestion as there are fewer TCP connections.
➨ Handshaking is done at the initial connection establishment stage. Hence it offers reduced latency in subsequent requests as there is no handshaking.
➨ It reports errors without closing the TCP connection.

Disadvantages of HTTP

➨ It can be used for point to point connection.
➨ It is not optimized for mobile.
➨ It does not have push capabilities.
➨ It is too verbose.
➨ It does not offer a reliable exchange (without retry logic).
➨ The client does not close the connection when all the data it needs have been received. Hence Server will not be available during this time.