IDG Contributor Network: Why the “s” in HTTPs is important

Who among us doesn't connect to public WiFi in the airport or at a coffee shop. One of the conveniences of the modern world is being able to connect wherever you are. But using secure HTTP is especially important when using wireless in a public place. 

When you connect to a server using HTTPs, the “s” stands for secure. More specifically, your HTTP request is using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL is a protocol used to secure communications between a client and server. The protocol employs encryption to keep eavesdroppers from “hearing” your conversation. It also keeps a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) hacker from hijacking your conversation. The hacker that perpetrates a MITM can feed you false info and gather info from you that you assume is protected. We will come back to the risks of not using a secure connection later. First let’s discuss how SSL works.

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