Term: https [HyperText Transfer Protocol – Secure]

Https is an acronym for HyperText Transfer Protocol – Secure.

Https an implementation of the httpdocument transfer protocol that adds encryption. In addition to all the mechanics of requesting web pages and files, and then returning them to a web browser, https also secures the transfer using certificate-based encryption.

All this really means is that the data transferred between the browser and the web server is encrypted and protected from all but the intended recipient, and the web site itself is verified to be who it claims to be.

« Back to Glossary Index