HTTPS is HTTP delivered over which cryptographic protocol?

• A. TLS/SSL
• B. SSH
• C. IPsec
• D. S/MIME

Answer: (A)

HTTPS is HTTP delivered over TLS/SSL, the cryptographic protocol that provides encryption, integrity, and authenticating the server. When you connect to a secure website, a TLS handshake runs first to agree on encryption algorithms and to exchange keys, then the actual HTTP data is sent through this secure channel. This is what keeps web traffic confidential and protected from tampering.

Other protocols serve different purposes: SSH handles secure remote login and file transfer, IPsec protects IP packets at the network layer (often used for VPNs), and S/MIME encrypts email messages. None of these secure the plain HTTP traffic the way TLS does, which is why HTTPS relies on TLS/SSL.