Definition: HTTPS

(HyperText Transport Protocol Secure) The protocol used to access a secure Web server. When https:// is used as the prefix of a Web address rather than the common http://, the session is managed by a security protocol, typically TLS, which superseded SSL, and the transmission is encrypted to and from the Web server. Increasingly, all websites use HTTPS; for example, in 2015, Wikipedia switched to HTTPS. For details about the HTTP protocol, see HTTP. To learn about the security protocol, see TLS and security protocol. See HSTS and HTTPS Everywhere.