ITPEC IP October 2021 Question 39

Topic: SecurityAlso asked in October 2019 and April 2023

Which of the following is a protocol that is used for encrypted communication between a web server and a web browser that are connected through HTTPS?

Explanation

TLS — the protocol that encrypts HTTP traffic between browser and web server; HTTPS is HTTP over TLS.

TLS (Transport Layer Security), the successor of SSL, first has the server present a digital certificate so the browser can confirm it is talking to the genuine site, then agrees a shared session key and encrypts all later traffic with it. This protects the communication from eavesdropping and tampering. A URL starting with https:// means TLS is in use.

Answer (d)

Why not others:

  • •(a) SEO — Search Engine Optimization, making a website rank higher in search results
  • •(b) SPEC — a benchmark organisation and its test suites for measuring computer performance
  • •(c) SQL — the language for defining and querying relational databases

Key rule: HTTPS = HTTP + SSL/TLS: TLS authenticates the server with a certificate and encrypts the traffic, giving confidentiality and integrity in transit.

Security · AI-written, may contain errors

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