HTTPS

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

HTTPS is HTTP but with a bodyguard. All the data flying between your browser and the website is scrambled so nobody can spy on it. That little padlock icon in your browser? That means HTTPS is on and your secrets are safe.

Real Talk

HTTPS is HTTP layered over TLS (Transport Layer Security). It encrypts all traffic between client and server, verifies the server's identity via SSL/TLS certificates, and prevents man-in-the-middle attacks. Default port is 443.

Show Me The Code

// Redirect HTTP to HTTPS in Express
app.use((req, res, next) => {
  if (!req.secure) {
    return res.redirect('https://' + req.headers.host + req.url);
  }
  next();
});

When You'll Hear This

"Always use HTTPS in production." / "The browser is flagging the site as insecure because it's on HTTP."