Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) is a networking protocol for hypermedia information systems which is primarily responsible for the transmitting and receiving information across the internet. In HTTP, an application running on a computer hosting a website acts as a server while a web browser functions as a client. It allows the communication between web server and web browser. It helps in sending request from a web browser to a web server and then it returns a response message to the web browser so that the information can be easily and accurately disseminated between servers and clients.

The default TCP port of http is 80.The HTTP protocol is basically designed within the framework of the internet protocol suite to permit immediate network elements to improve or enable communications between browsers and the servers. Generally; HTTP is used to access html pages. The problem with HTTP is that it is totally unsecure and if the login page is implemented in http, then we cannot enter sensitive information like password and credit card no. as it becomes easy for malicious people to eavesdrop on our computer conversation with the website and  harm us and our finances.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol over secure socket layer (HTTPS) is a web protocol and a security enhanced version of http. It prevents unauthorised access as it uses secure socket layer (SSL) to move the data. HTTPS ensures reasonable protection against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. It is generally used for payment transactions on WWW and also handles sensitive transactions in corporate information systems. By default, it uses TCP port 443.

HTTPS works by transmitting normal http interactions through an encrypted system so that the information can be accessed only between client and the server, not any other party. It requires additional processing power to encrypt or decrypt the data. HTTPS is normally used in login pages for banking, forms, corporate logons, and other shopping and commercial sites in which data needs to be secure.