HTTP vs. HTTPS

Not many people know the difference between HTTP and HTTPS. The big difference is, shocker, the “S”. HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. The "S" (big surprise) stands for “Secure”. When you go to a website you will normally see the http://, this means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular “unsecured” 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 should never 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. Next time a site asks for your credit card or other personal information, you should immediately look for the “S”.