What is the purpose of HTTPS?

The purpose of HTTPS, which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure, is to indicate that a webpage is secure. This is achieved by encrypting the data that is transmitted between the user's browser and the web server. The encryption helps protect sensitive information, such as personal data, passwords, and credit card numbers, from being intercepted by unauthorized parties.

When a website uses HTTPS, it includes a digital certificate issued by a Certificate Authority, which verifies the authenticity of the site and establishes a secure connection. This creates a level of trust for users, ensuring that the data they share is better protected against eavesdropping and tampering. Therefore, identifying a secure webpage is the fundamental purpose of HTTPS, which is crucial in today's internet environment where security and privacy concerns are paramount.