What are HTTP and HTTPS, and what port do each of these protocols use?
Since virtually everyone is familiar with the internet, they probably have seen terms like HTTP before. However, many don't know what these terms stand for or how they are used on a network. Some network engineers may be so familiar with these terms that they are surprised when somebody asks this type of question. Understand that you may be interviewing with somebody who does not have a technical background. Make sure you keep your answers brief and to the point, and answer with common language. If the interviewer wants to get more technical, they will ask a follow-up question.
"HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol, and it is responsible for presenting web content to users. Web pages use this to transmit their content and allow the display and navigation of HyperText. It uses TCP port 80. HTTPS is a Secure HTTP and is used for secure communication over a network. HTTPS provides authentication of websites that prevents unwanted attacks by encrypting the communication. It verifies if the requested server connection is valid with the help of an SSL certificate. HTTPS uses TCP port 443."
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Anonymous Answer
HTTP and HTTPS are both TCP protocols, and they have port numbers 80 and 443, respectively. While both are widely used, TCP 80 is not considered secure, so you will most likely not see this while on the internet or somewhere where a web server is publicly available. Instead, you will see TCP 443 used most of the time. They are both protocols that allow you to view a web server's web page by using an internet browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Internet Explorer.
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