HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a communication protocol used to transfer web pages on the Internet. The protocol is used when surfing the web via the most common browsers.
HTTP is the protocol used to exchange or transfer hypertext. To exchange web pages between server and browser, an HTTP session is established using protocol methods (e.g., GET, POST etc.).
HTTP was developed between September and October 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee together with two other technologies, namely HTML and the URI.
HTTP vs HTTPS: Differences
HTTP and HTTPS are two variants of the same protocol that is used to transfer web pages on the Internet. HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP. The protocol uses SSL/TLS for secure, encrypted communication.
While with HTTP all communication takes place without any kind of security, with HTTPS an encrypted communication channel is created through the exchange of certificates to guarantee the identity of the parties and the confidentiality of the data.
Another difference on a technical level are the TCP ports used for the connection: HTTP generally uses port 80, while HTTPS uses port 443.
