What is HTTP, though, and how does it work?
Let’s take a look at the glue that keeps the web together.
HTTP: The Short Version
HTTP is an acronym and stands forhypertexttransferprotocol.
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Let’s break that down a bit, starting with the “protocol” part.
For example,VPN protocolsdetermine how VPNs interact with servers.
HTTP is a lot less specific than that, and instead sets the rules for how the internet works.
This is no exaggeration.
Without HTTP, there’d be no communication over the world wide web.
This is because HTTP governs the communication between web servers and web clients—the “transfer” part.
To access a web server, you need a web client.
The web app then displays the response.
Breaking Down HTTP Requests
Of course, there’s a little more to it than that.
They’re three digits that can start with numbers 1 through 5.
Each series stands for something.
This call-and-response system is the basis for everything we do on the internet.
Though it gets more complicated than we describe above, this covers the basics.
Of course, there is the issue of how all this communication is kept safe.
It’s purely request-and-receive, there’s no step where security is added.
There are some that—for reasons that vary depending on the site owner—have resisted this change.
You may want to shy away from them, or at leastuse a VPNto safeguard any sensitive information.
That said, though HTTPS is definitely a vital upgrade, that’s all it is, an upgrade.
HTTP has been powering the internet since it started, and we doubt that will change any time soon.
