What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS? Both HTTP and HTTPS are intended for sending data over the internet. With HTTPS, the security is better because the data is sent encrypted. This is done with an SSL Certificate. With HTTP, messages that are intercepted can be viewed without the message needing to be deciphered. For applications with sensitive information, this encryption has been used for a long time, but you increasingly see HTTPS being used for regular websites as well. This is not for nothing, as it affects your findability in search engines. Google gives websites with an HTTPS connection a higher ranking than websites without this encryption.