Http vs Https vs Hsts which is better?

Hello everyone, im KDT and today we’re gonna be seeing a detailed comparison between HTTP(Hypertext Transfer Protocol), HTTPS(Secured Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HSTS(HTTP Strict Transfer Protocol). So let’s get started with the first one which is HTTP

HTTP stands for hypertext transfer protocol. HTTP is concerned with how data is shown to the user. The movement of data is not its concern. It is a stateless protocol as none of the earlier sessions live in its memory. This makes it very fast. This was the protocol that was used by companies to show their content to the user. This was good enough when there was no sensitive information being sent through the internet.

This doesn’t provide any security measures to the information being sent and it is quite easy for the Hackers to get hold of your data. When the need for security was felt, the HTTPS protocol was created. This is the same as HTTP but uses encryption for the information which is sent through it. HTTPS works with the protocol known as (SSL)Secure Socket Layer protocol to give security to the information being passed to the user.

Image Source: Globalsign.com

For protecting the data of the Users =, the companies are forced to use HTTPS instead of HSTS. But what they don’t understand is that it is not as safe as they would like it to be. When someone connects to a site with HTTPS security there is encryption done using the SSL certificate. While this offers some sort of protection, it is not difficult for hackers to strip your SSL and steal your data.

Without HTTPS, any data passed is insecure. This is especially important for sites where sensitive data is passed across the connection, such as eCommerce sites that accept online card payments, or login areas that require users to enter their credentials.

Many of the banking and financial sites expect users to input sensitive information. Most people see the HTTPS in green along with the URL. This is what satisfies them to the fact that the site is secure. But the security provided by HTTPS alone is not sufficient when the site depends only on 301 redirects. The 301 redirect gives the hacker enough time to strip the SSL certificate. This is because when a hacker tries to load the site from a non-encrypted browser, the short time when the browser goes from HTTP to HTTPS is enough to hack your website.

HSTS stands for HTTP Strict Transport Security. When you have HSTS support it doesn’t allow the site to be loaded in HTTP protocol. There is a famous attack known as HTTPS Downgrading. This means stripping the HTTPS to HTTP but it will be prevented when using HSTS.

HSTS allows the site to load only in HTTPS providing an extra layer of security. This security layer tells the browser that the site has HTTPS protection and there is no need to try to load the site in HTTP.

As you know the page loading is an important factor in getting people to use your site. It has been found that mobile users don’t want to wait more than three seconds for a page to load. With the increase in the use of mobiles for accessing e-commerce sites and making purchases, even delays in milliseconds are a matter of concern. When you use HSTS the slight delay that occurs when the site first loads HTTP before being redirected to HTTPS, is prevented. This enables your site to load faster and you get a better ranking on the search results page.

So I conclude by saying that, HTTP is not at all secure and don’t even use it for any kind of websites. Use only HTTPS to enable your security with SSL

Without doubt, HTTPS certainly has a place, and for those of you out there with websites dealing with personal information, such as eCommerce sites or blogs with membership areas, for example, HTTPS is a clear requirement. I hope this blog post gives you a good overview to think about moving to HTTPS. If you have any questions or related queries, Post it in the comments.