Why https is safer than http?

[Former Member]

I installed https several times.

I still cannot tell how does https make it safer.

Please help. Points!

[Former Member]

Hi Jennifer,

Please visit the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Https

You will get more information about this.

Regards,

Bhasha

[Former Member]

HTTP is Hyper Text Transform Protocol and is transmitted over the wire via PORT 80(TCP). You use HTTP when you are browsing the web.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL) is a Web protocol developed by Netscape and built into its browser that encrypts and decrypts user page requests as well as the pages that are returned by the Web server. HTTPS is really just the use of Netscape's Secure Socket Layer (SSL) as a sublayer under its regular HTTP application layering. (HTTPS uses port 443 instead of HTTP port 80 in its interactions with the lower layer, TCP/IP.) SSL uses a 40-bit key size for the RC4 stream encryption algorithm, which is considered an adequate degree of encryption for commercial exchange.

Although it may be encrypted does not mean its safe, there are tools out there to decrypt the information being sent over the wire, although its more difficult to do so.

[Former Member]

Hello Jennifer,

Https refers to a secured link. The data transferred using http and https protocol is same however from security perspective https is more secure. HTTPS is HTPP over secured socket layer.

Check this out:

http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/~jw35/docs/doing_ssl.html

Regards.

Ruchit.

[Former Member]

Hi jennifer,

If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://. This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never ever ever enter your credit card number in an http website!

But if the web address begins with https://, that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

This site will help u

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-http-and-https.htm

Thanks

Srinivas

Message was edited by:

Srinivas B