Security is a very important factor for users, as well as for organizations. Over time, the protocols related to the network have been improving. This makes browsing an HTTPS site, for example, more secure than browsing another HTTP. It is vital to protect data and information when browsing, as well as when using servers or any platform or service. In this article we are going to talk about what HSTS is and why it improves HTTPS.
HTTPS, the solution to encrypt data when browsing
We all know HTTPS and the importance it has today when it comes to browsing. It is very important if we want to prevent data from leaking. When entering a website, we can log in, send and receive information, data and, ultimately, our privacy and security depend on that connection. If we do this through HTTP, a possible intruder could access the information.
That’s where HTTPS comes in. The goal is to encrypt that information we send. In this way it travels safely over the network without any possible intruders being able to intercept the information. We can say that it goes from point to point without a third party being able to intercept it.
The problem is that there is still a chance that attackers can trick the browser into communicating using the HTTP protocol instead of HTTPS. This could logically pose a privacy problem . The information we are sending could be intercepted. This is what is known as a protocol degradation attack. We can say that it prevents that website that we are visiting from connecting through HTTPS.
This occurs because the browser tries to connect to the HTTP site, but if the HTTPS version is available the server would automatically connect to this second, more secure option. A hacker could modify this, could rely on that first connection to the HTTP site to prevent it from ending up connecting on the secure version. A cyber criminal could impersonate that site’s web server and even send an exact copy to the user through which they could steal credentials and passwords.
What is HSTS
Now, to solve this problem is where HSTS comes into play. Its abbreviations come from HTTP Stric Transport Security . It serves to prevent protocol degradation attacks, as we have seen is a possibility. What this protocol does is tell the browser to connect to the website only through HTTPS. This prevents them from connecting in any way via HTTP.
After that message is communicated, the browser remembers that it should not attempt to communicate with the website via HTTP and initiates future requests to the site from HTTPS.
Also keep in mind that all popular browsers also come with their own preloaded HSTS lists that they can check and determine if a website uses HSTS or not. This makes protocol degradation attacks increasingly difficult.
In short, HSTS is an interesting protocol that webmasters must implement on their web server to make it more secure overall. It is especially important if a site requires the transfer of confidential user data. It is interesting for a website to be more secure for users.
We already know that security is a very important factor. It is when browsing where we can have more problems, where our information can be compromised by any of the many attacks that exist on the network. Therefore encrypting websites, improving security on servers, is essential. In this way our site will also improve in reputation.