What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS in terms of security?

What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS in terms of security?

• A. HTTP is unsecured; HTTPS adds TLS encryption for secure communication; HTTPS also authenticates the server
• B. HTTP is secured by standard TLS by default
• C. HTTPS is unsecured
• D. HTTP authenticates servers, HTTPS does not

Answer: (A)

Security of data in transit is what separates HTTP from HTTPS. HTTP sends requests and responses in plain text, so anyone on the network can read, copy, or modify the data, and there’s no built-in way to verify who you’re talking to. HTTPS adds TLS encryption, which protects the information as it travels by encrypting it and ensuring its integrity, so it can’t be read or tampered with without detection. TLS also authenticates the server with a certificate, helping verify you’re connecting to the legitimate site and not an imposter. That combination—confidentiality, integrity, and server authentication—makes HTTPS the secure choice. The other statements mix up these protections: HTTP isn’t secured by default TLS, HTTPS isn’t unsecured, and HTTP doesn’t provide server authentication while HTTPS does.

Security of data in transit is what separates HTTP from HTTPS. HTTP sends requests and responses in plain text, so anyone on the network can read, copy, or modify the data, and there’s no built-in way to verify who you’re talking to. HTTPS adds TLS encryption, which protects the information as it travels by encrypting it and ensuring its integrity, so it can’t be read or tampered with without detection. TLS also authenticates the server with a certificate, helping verify you’re connecting to the legitimate site and not an imposter. That combination—confidentiality, integrity, and server authentication—makes HTTPS the secure choice. The other statements mix up these protections: HTTP isn’t secured by default TLS, HTTPS isn’t unsecured, and HTTP doesn’t provide server authentication while HTTPS does.