HTTPs (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of the HTTP protocol, it’s designed to encrypt data transmitted between web servers and browsers. This is a key technique to protect payment and sensitive information over the internet.
Users who are not fully aware of web concepts may look for a way to convert HTTP to HTTPS without using a digital certificate. In most cases, because they don’t want to pay for a paid certificate, without knowing they can get one for free.
How to convert HTTP to HTTPS without SSL certificate?
It is impossible to convert HTTP websites to HTTPS without a TLS/SSL certificate. The digital certificate is a key component of the HTTPS protocol. It needs to be INITIALLY verified to establish a secure connection to the website.
Data Encryption in HTTPS
The HTTP protocol is the fundamental protocol for browsing websites and online resources. Because its connections are not encrypted, HTTP tends to be insecure. HTTPS is the secure extension of the default HTTP protocol.
When visiting an HTTPS website, all browser requests and server responses are securely encrypted. This prevents anyone who has access to the network from intercepting the connection, modifying it, or stealing its information.
Primarily, HTTPS relies on an encryption protocol to ensure two aspects:
- To verify the identity of the visited website.
- To make sure the exchanged data with this website was not altered.
Role of Digital Certificates in HTTPS Encryption
This encryption process requires a trusted third party to establish a secure connection between the website and its visitors. To do so, this trusted authority issues a digital certificate for each website and then guarantees its validity.
When a user visits an HTTPS website, the website provides its certificate to the visitor’s browser. Then, the browser establishes a connection to the certificate authority to verify this certificate and start the encryption process.
This encryption mechanism takes place using a cryptographic protocol called Transport Layer Security (TLS), which is built on the deprecated Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technique.
Website owners can force their sites to redirect to HTTPS, but this doesn’t mean the website has a valid HTTPS connection. In this case, most browsers show a security warning message to anyone trying to visit the website.
Can We Get Free TLS/SSL Certificate?
The good news is that website owners can get this certificate for free. Most hosting services do provide a free HTTPS certificate in their package. Let’s Encrypt is the most known authority for free HTTPS certificates. For more details about available free SSL/TLS certificate providers, please refer to this comparison guide.
