HTTP and HTTPS
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a protocol used for transmitting data over the internet. It is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web. HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP that uses encryption to protect the data being transmitted. It provides a secure connection between the user's browser and the server.
6 Key excerpts on "HTTP and HTTPS"
eBook - ePubCybersecurity Fundamentals
A Real-World Perspective
- Kutub Thakur, Al-Sakib Khan Pathan(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...The web browsers are normally the clients of HTTP communication, and the web server applications are the server of this communication. HTTP is considered as insecure nowadays because of the nature of plain text communication between client and server over the Internet. The use of HTTP has been replaced by the HTTPS or HTTP (secure), which include the capabilities of encrypted communication between server and client over the communication link. HTTP can easily be converted to the HTTPS by adding the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption protocol. We will describe the step-by-step method on how to install SSL certificate to convert the HTTP to HTTPS on the websites later in this section too. Before that, let us know about the HTTP. Hypertext Transfer Protocol precisely HTTP is an application-layer communication protocol that is used for establishing the Internet communication between client and server. A client is any software browser that is used to send the request for accessing certain resources located on the web server. The web server has the server part of the HTTP that provides response to the requests originated from the HTTP client. The schematic diagram of an HTTP communication is given in Figure 10.2. FIGURE 10.2 HTTP websites. The communication transactions of HTTP client/server are listed below: Client (web browser) sends HTTP request to server. Server takes the request and starts app to process HTTP request. Generates and sends back the required response requested by the client. Client receives the response to display on the browser. In this request/response communication, the client can request for the website (HTML) page, database, JavaScript file, JPG images, or style sheets...
eBook - ePub- David Austerberry(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Because XML is extensible, it can be used for yet to be developed applications, unlike HTML, which is now set in stone. Figure 3.2 HTML tags. HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) HTTP was developed for the delivery of HTML files. It is used for application-level communication between the browser and the web server in distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. The communications consist of requests and responses. The headers indicate the purpose of a request. The message uses the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), in the form of the familiar URL or name (URN) to indicate the resource. In the response, MIME-like information describes the format of the data to be transferred. HTTP also is used as a generic protocol for communication between user agents and proxies or gateways to other Internet systems. This includes those supported by the RTSP, SMTP, and FTP protocols. In this way, HTTP allows basic access level to multimedia content sourced from a diverse range of applications. This protocol is important for streaming, because it is used for the web pages that link to the content, and it is often the only choice for a communication protocol in simple network installations. Some company firewalls prevent access to regular streaming media using real-time protocols, so HTTP is the only option for the delivery of media streams. It is an application-layer protocol, commonly used over a TCP/IP connection. It is a stateless protocol; that means each command is executed in isolation, with no knowledge of preceding commands. Cookies are used as a way around this so that web servers more intelligently can serve content to a browser by storing state information in the cookie. This may be viewed as a disadvantage of HTTP, but it has great benefits. Because the protocol is stateless and connectionless, the web server is relieved of the overhead of maintaining a connection to the browser...
eBook - ePubThe World Wide Web
Beneath the Surf
- Mark Handley, Jon Crowcroft(Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Appendix C Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) A stateless search, retrieve and manipulation protocol The protocol is basically stateless. It is a transaction consisting of: • connection the establishment of a connection by the client to the server; when TCP/IP is used, port 80 is the well-known port, but other non-reserved ports may be specified in the URL; • request the sending, by the client, of a request message to the server; • response the sending, by the server, of a response to the client; • close the closing of the connection by either or both parties. The HTTP protocol Request The request is sent with a first line containing the method to be applied to the object requested, the identifier of the object, and the protocol version in use, followed by further information encoded in the RFC 822 header style...
eBook - ePubArtificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity
Advances and Innovations
- Ishaani Priyadarshini, Rohit Sharma, Ishaani Priyadarshini, Rohit Sharma(Authors)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
...There are some security protocols which are employed over the internet to affirm secured online transactions like secure sockets layer (SSL) and secure hypertext transfer protocol (SHTTP), etc. [ 4, 5 ]. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Secure sockets layer (SSL) is a convention for PCs organising the relationship between customers and servers through a web as well as being like an unstable network. The use of SSL was rejected for web use by the Internet Technology Task Force (ITTF) [ 4 ] and replaced with the ‘transportation layer security’ (TLS) protocol because of different protocols, usage flaws and vulnerabilities, although TLS and SSL are not interoperable and TLS with SSL 3.0 is in reverse. It is the first convention that is regularly used and is commonly employed in the industry. It meets certain security criteria such as: verification, encryption and integrity [ 4, 5 ]. SSL could be a logical disciplinary convention giving a safe relationship between a customer and a server. SSL was [ 1 – 5 ] at first developed by the Netscape Communications Corporation. This convention protects secure data exchange between a customer and a server that allocates TCP/IP with an ‘open key unbalanced calculation rule’ utilised for the encryption strategy. The SSL arrangement includes two subcontracts: one for the SSL record and the other for the SSL handshake. The former defines the transmission location of the knowledge. The SSL convention incorporates a handshake with the SSL record convention to enable the flexible exchange of messages between a server and a customer. The SSL convention builds up a protected channel with three fundamental features: i) all messages are territory encrypted, ii) authentication ought to be on server side as it is discretionary on the client side, iii) it gives guaranteed quality. Not only does SSL provide reliable information on the internet, but it also authenticates the server and customers...
- Leonhard Korowajczuk, Leonhard Korowajczuk(Authors)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
...It is used to interact with software utilities, verify logs and even to chat. 2.9.2.2 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) This protocol is used to exchange and manipulate files over a TCP/IP network. It is a client–server protocol and uses separate data and control connections. FTP supports user authentication (password-based) or anonymous access. 2.9.2.3 Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) This is a simplified FTP protocol ideal to transfer small amount s of data. It is built over UDP. 2.9.2.4 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) This protocol is designed for distributed and collaborative hypermedia information systems. It is a client–server protocol, where a web browser acts as a client while a web site acts as a server. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). This is a markup language for web pages. Web pages can be written in HTML, and is built by HTML elements in the form of <tag> content to be rendered as </tag>. Extensible Markup Language (XML). While HTML has a fixed structure to specify its elements based on pre-defined tags, XML allows users to define their own tags. Java. This is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems (Oracle Corporation today), based on C and C++ and highly portable to different platforms. It is used in many web-based applications. 2.9.2.5 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) E-mails can be sent by an e-mail client to an e-mail server using SMTP. 2.9.2.6 Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) This is an extension to the SMTP protocol that as well as text, includes, non-text attachments, message bodies with multiple parts and non ASCII characters. 2.9.2.7 Post Office Protocol (POP) E-mails are sent using to an e-mail server and are stored in the recipient's e-mail box. An e-mail client retrieves the messages using the POP protocol. This protocol is being replaced by the more powerful IMAP. 2.9.2.8 Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) E-mails are sent to an e-mail server and are stored in the recipient's e-mail box...
eBook - ePubConfident Web Design
Master the Fundamentals of Website Creation and Supercharge Your Career
- Kenny Wood(Author)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Kogan Page(Publisher)
...We will also look at where CMSs (content management systems) fit into this spectrum and their role in the web development landscape. The key principles on which the World Wide Web functions The internet The internet is a global network of connected devices. This network contains many other networks within it, which connect the millions of devices that exist at various points around the world. Devices on the network can communicate with one another and exchange information over a multitude of languages, known as protocols. The World Wide Web The World Wide Web (‘the web’) is a method of accessing information across the internet using a protocol named HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). The World Wide Web is an information-sharing platform built on top of the internet, which allows the devices across the network to communicate freely in a common language. HTTP is one of many protocols used across the internet. (Another example is SMTP, which is used for email communication.) Webpages Webpages are written using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), then saved and uploaded to a web server, which will host the files ready for another device on the network to view upon request (using the HTTP protocol). Browsers A browser is a computer program capable of interpreting and displaying HTML files for the user to view and interact with. The most common browsers today are: Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Google Chrome Safari Servers A server is simply a computer on the network, which has the sole purpose of serving webpages or files to other devices across the network upon request. Servers are discoverable via IP addresses. Domains A domain is a bit like an address or a postcode. It tells the browser where to look for a file. Effectively, a domain is a name for a server on the network. Anything after the forward slash tells the browser which file on that server you are looking for. Subdomains A subdomain is used to divide your website up into smaller sections...
