Capterra Glossary
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is an application protocol for information systems that allow users to communicate data via the World Wide Web. HTTP is used to load web pages over the internet using hypertext links. Using HTTP, resources can be exchanged between client devices and servers over the internet.
With HTTP, client devices send requests to web servers to gain the resources needed to load a specific web page. Next, the web server sends a response back to the client device, fulfilling the requests. These requests and responses share subdocuments that contain data in the form of images, text, and textual layouts. These subdocuments are then configured by a client web browser to display the entirety of a web page file on the client’s device.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
HTTP is the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web and is commonly used by small and midsize businesses to connect users to their company website. However, the hypertext transfer protocol does not encrypt the data it transmits, allowing unauthorized third-parties to access data delivered between client devices and company web servers. Today, hypertext transfer protocol is often replaced by hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) which functions similarly but uses transport layer security (TLS) to encrypt and verify HTTP requests and responses.
Related Terms
- Synchronous
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Intranet
- Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Managed Service Provider (MSP)
- Haptics
- WAN (Wide-Area Network)
- Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Service-Level Agreement (SLA)
- Scalability
- Data Center
- Authorization
- Multitenancy