Which protocol is commonly used for secure web browsing?

• A. HTTP
• B. FTP
• C. HTTPS
• D. SMTP

Answer: (C)

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the protocol commonly used for secure web browsing. It is an extension of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and incorporates security measures to ensure that the data exchanged between a user's web browser and the web server is encrypted. This encryption protects against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks, allowing users to safely transmit sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data without fear of interception.

HTTPS utilizes SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocols for encryption, which help to establish a secure connection. When accessing a website, if you notice that the URL begins with "https://" instead of "http://," it indicates that the communication is secured through this encryption process.

While other protocols like FTP (File Transfer Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), and HTTP have their specific use cases, they do not provide the same level of security as HTTPS does for web browsing. FTP is primarily used for transferring files, SMTP for sending emails, and HTTP is used for transferring web pages but without the protections offered by HTTPS.