Which protocol is primarily used for secure web communication?

The protocol that is primarily used for secure web communication is HTTPS, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. HTTPS is an extension of HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and is designed to provide a secure channel over an insecure network, such as the internet.

HTTPS uses a combination of HTTP and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols to encrypt data exchanged between a web browser and a web server. This encryption helps protect sensitive information, such as login credentials, personal data, and payment details, from being intercepted by malicious entities during transmission. The presence of an "s" at the end of HTTPS indicates a secure version of HTTP, denoting that communications are encrypted.

In contrast, HTTP operates without this encryption, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping and tampering. Other protocols such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol) are used for transferring files but do not inherently secure the data being transferred. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is involved in sending emails, but it also does not provide a secure transfer mechanism unless specifically configured to do so.

Thus, HTTPS is the go-to protocol for ensuring secure communications on the web, making it the correct choice in this context.