The internet changed the world in ways that were unimaginable a few centuries ago. Today, you can send information instantaneously. You can do it from your location to someone who is on a remote island thousands of miles away. You only need four things to send this information.
One of them is a device that connects to the internet. Another one is an internet connection.
The other two are a website and a browser. A browser is an application that helps you access information on the internet. Browsers help you connect to a site’s server.
Then it displays the information that this site contains. Browsers identify a webpage on a website by examining its Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Most website owners want a URL that starts with the words HTTPS. However, Is HTTPS always necessary?
When is HTTPS Necessary?
The HTTP in HTTPS is an acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the protocol used to format and transmit data over the internet. It also determines what actions browsers should take in response to commands from a particular website.
Unfortunately, HTTP is an insecure way of transmitting data online. It is insecure because the information sent through it is unencrypted. That means third parties can easily access your data as you transmit it online.
They can use this stolen data for nefarious purposes. Therefore, HTTPS is necessary if securing the information transmitted through your website is important to you. Remember the S in HTTPS stands for Secure. The transmitted data is secure because HTTPS encrypts the data before it sends it over the internet.
When is HTTPS Unnecessary?
Sadly, people have publicized HTTPS too much in today’s society. Every web owner wants it even though it may be unnecessary for his or her website. Doing so leads to additional costs and effort that the web owner could have avoided.
How can you tell whether HTTPS is necessary for your website? Well, look at the information you are sending to your online audience and the data that you are receiving from them.
Is this information personalized? Is it sensitive? You do not need HTTPS if the data you send to your internet visitors or receive from them is available publicly. You do not need it when the transmission of information is a one-way street. In other words, HTTPS is unnecessary when you do not receive any data from online audiences.
Why People Use HTTPS Unnecessarily
The hype around HTTPS means thousands of websites are using it even though they do not need it. Instead, they are following the crowd because everyone seems to have it. This trend among web owners occurs because of two primary reasons. One of them is that having this feature on your website is a straightforward process.
Only five steps are necessary. The first one is hosting your site using a dedicated IP address followed by buying and activating a certificate. Then you have to upgrade to HTTPS after you install this certificate. Many web owners also have it because it does not hurt their bottom line or processing power. Contact computer repair Sacramento to learn more about this topic and other interesting topics on computers, software, and the internet.
