HTTP vs. HTTPS: The Secret Behind Secure Web Browsing — Understand How Your Requests & Responses Travel the Internet!

The internet we use daily is a vast network of information exchanges, and understanding how that information flows can be fascinating. Every time you visit a website, your device sends a message across the internet, requesting information from a web server, which then responds with what you want to see. This is called the request-response model. But here’s where things get interesting: not all connections are made equal. Enter HTTP and HTTPS, the protocols responsible for these exchanges.

Let’s dive into what they mean, how they work, and how the request-response model keeps the web running smoothly.

1. What is HTTP?

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, and it’s the foundation of any data exchange on the web. When you type a website’s URL into your browser, your device sends an HTTP request to the server hosting that site. The server then responds with the requested content, and voila! You see the website.

In simple terms:

• HTTP is the protocol that dictates how messages are formatted and transmitted.
• Requests are sent by clients (like your browser).
• Responses are sent by servers to fullfill those requests.

Example of an HTTP Request-Response Flow

1. Client (Your Browser)…