HTTPS

HTTPS is HTTP exchanged over a connection protected by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

Format
Security & Encryption
Updated
Updated
Glossary Security & Encryption
HTTPS Aliases: HTTP over TLS, secure HTTP.

Definition

HTTPS is HTTP exchanged over a connection protected by Transport Layer Security (TLS).

How it works

TLS gives the connection three protections: nobody along the path can read the traffic, nobody can tamper with it undetected, and the browser can verify it is talking to the server named in the certificate. That secures the transport — it says nothing about whether the site itself is honest, which is why phishing sites can have padlocks too.

Example: HTTPS keeps a password submitted to a properly configured website hidden from anyone watching the network.

Often confused: People still say "SSL" out of habit, but modern HTTPS runs on TLS — the SSL protocol itself was retired years ago.

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Sources

Last reviewed 2026-07-19.