Web / Security

HTTPS / SSL

Encrypted HTTP so data between the browser and server can't be read or tampered with along the way.

Plain HTTP is a postcard anyone on the network can read; HTTPS is a sealed, armored envelope — that's the padlock in the address bar. It works via TLS certificates (SSL is the old name for TLS, but everyone still says 'SSL'), which prove the server is genuine and encrypt the traffic. This is non-negotiable for anything with a login or payment, because passwords and tokens sent over plain HTTP are trivially stolen. The good news: modern hosts hand you certificates automatically for free, so you rarely configure this by hand.