What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the basic protocol browsers use to request and receive web pages. On its own, HTTP sends data in plain text — anyone monitoring the network between you and the server could read it.

What HTTPS adds

HTTPS wraps that same HTTP traffic inside a TLS (Transport Layer Security) encrypted connection. This protects three things:

• Confidentiality — data can't be read in transit, even if intercepted
• Integrity — data can't be silently modified in transit
• Authentication — a certificate confirms you're actually talking to the real website, not an imposter

How to tell the difference

The address bar shows a lock icon and the URL begins with https:// instead of http://. Modern browsers actively flag plain HTTP sites — especially ones with login forms or payment fields — as "not secure." Google also uses HTTPS as a search ranking signal, so nearly all modern websites use it by default.