Millions of online transactions happen everyday in today’s digitally linked world. A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) has played a major role in protecting user data in those transactions. While very few can understand the security function of SSL, the difference between HTTPS vs HTTP needs to be understood.
The padlock icon and the websites that start with https have become synonymous with protected websites. A website lock icon is a guarantee that the customer’s data are secure from fraudulent activities. It has thus provided the protection which allows organisations to give their customers a trusted environment.
Not only consumer data, but SSL has secured sensitive business details such as intellectual property and employee data. Too much is the need for regulatory bodies such as the Payment Card Industry (PCI) to get an SSL certificate made it mandatory.
Let us understand only a few things first before you dive deeper into this;
Difference between HTTPS vs HTTPS
Advantage of using https
Performance impact of http vs. https
Difference Between HTTPS vs HTTP
| HTTPS | HTTP |
| Encryption Layer enabled | No encryption layer |
| Data protection | No protection from attackers |
| Ranking Boost with Google | No ranking boost |
| Protection against Phishing | Easy to replicate and thus vulnerable to phishing |
| Leveraged to gain customer trust | Website safety cannot be leveraged |
| Payments Card Industry Compliance | Non-compliance with Payments Card Industry regulation |
| Maybe slower to load only in the initial phases | Faster site to load |
| Needs Testing after conversion to HTTPS | No testing time and cost |
| Certification and Validation have costs associated with them | No certification / validation cost |
| Post validation redirection needed as a one-time activity | No redirections or relinking required |
| Chrome user friendly | Chrome users get a notification about “unsecured site” |
Advantage of using HTTPS
Both Google and the CAB forum have circulated the circulars to protect your URLs with HTTPS. As you already know, the HTTP websites are not secure and could be easy for MITM attackers to penetrate.
This is accompanied by the advantages of using HTTPS
- Secures your data in-transit.
- Protects from Phishing, MITM and other data breaches on your website.
- Builds trust among visitors to your website.
- Removes warnings on “NOT Safe.”
- Help you boost ranking on websites.
- Help you increase earnings per customer.
Performance impact of http vs. https
Browsers are our way of getting to any website. SSL certificates are regulated by the respective SSL marks (CAs), and each browser has to check the website’s security. Browser decodes any request that passes from client to server to understand the protection that underlies it.
If accessed, a website running on HTTPS could see a marginal effect on results.
The whole SS handshake process happens in a fraction of a second. Thus a browser understands a URL ‘s protection. This handshake includes the various steps and it consists of the SSL Certificate Chain process.