Have you ever wondered why a green lock icon appears on your browser URL bar? And why is it important?

Why do we need HTTPS?

HTTP (Hypertext transfer protocol) We need HTTPS for 3 reasons. Privacy, integrity, and identification.

Reason number 1: Privacy.

Let's talk about privacy first. Let's say I am sending a message to my friend.

Oh no! The message is not encrypted! well if it's not encrypted it's very easy to capture the message and manipulate or add some malicious file. potentially using it for evil. Privacy means that no one can eavesdrop on your messages. When you browse a website without HTTPS, it becomes very easy to eavesdrop on your password. The green padlock on the URL bar of your browser tells you that you can now share details or send messages so the green lock is watching over your shoulder.

Reason number 2: Integrity.

I am sending another message to my friend unencrypted. But before it reaches my friend, someone intercepts the message. He/She updates the message to say bad things about my friend and forwards it to him/her. This is what we call the man in a middle attack.

Reason number 3: identification.

Integrity means that the message is not manipulated on the way to its destination. green lock makes sure that your communication is not being tampered with. Identification means that I can check that this message is coming from the user. A digital signature attached to a message can identify the sender. The digital signature is not the closing text on your emails. Anyone could copy that ;) And when you are browsing the web, identification means that the site that you are visiting is indeed the one you think it is. HTTPS, via SSL certificates, ensures you are connected exactly with the receiver you would expect. This SSL certificate is valid and has been issued by a legitimate Certificate Authority. You are good to go.

In summary, privacy, integrity and identification are the main reasons why HTTPS is important.