HTTPS

• Transport Layer Security (TLS): The protocol that provides encryption and secure communication over computer networks.
• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): Comprising digital certificates and a certificate authority that verifies the authenticity of entities.
• Web Servers: Hosts websites and processes requests through HTTPS.
• Clients (Web Browsers): Applications that request and display web content securely.
• Domain Name System (DNS): Translates human-friendly domain names into IP addresses.
• Certificates: Digital certificates that provide authentication for the identity of the website (usually X.509 certificates).

• Encryption Process: When a user navigates to a website, the client and server initiate a handshake, wherein:
  • The server sends its certificate to the client.
  • The client verifies the certificate's authenticity with the PKI.
  • Once verified, a symmetric session key is generated for encrypting the communication.
• Session Persistence: During this encrypted session, data transferred is protected from eavesdroppers, maintaining integrity and confidentiality.
• Trust Model: The security of HTTPS relies heavily on trust in the certificate authority and PKI. If a CA is compromised, the entire system's security can be at risk.
• DNS Interaction: The client's request for a website goes through the DNS resolver to convert the URL into an IP address, directing the HTTPS request to the correct server.

• Handshake Mechanism:
  • Initiation of connection
  • Server sends SSL/TLS certificate
  • Client verifies certificate
  • Generation of session keys
• Data Transfer Components:
  • Request/response structure
  • Encryption of transmitted data
• Authentication Process:
  • Certificate authority verification
  • Domain validation
• Closure of Connection:
  • Termination of secure session and cleanup of keys.

[Client → Request DNS Resolution]
          ↓
[DNS → IP Address]
          ↓
[Client → Establishing HTTPS Connection with Server]
          ↓
[Server → Sends SSL/TLS Certificate]
          ↓
[Client → Verifies Certificate]
          ↓
[Client/Server → Generate Local Session Key]
          ↓
[Data Encrypted and Sent]
          ↓
[Data Received and Decrypted]
          ↓
[Client/Server → End of Session]

• Enhanced Security Monitoring: It is crucial to have monitoring systems in place to detect certificate misconfigurations or potential breaches in the PKI to prevent data leaks.
• Regular Updates: Web servers and applications should be kept updated to the latest versions of TLS and security practices to protect against vulnerabilities.
• User Awareness: Educating users about the importance of HTTPS and how to recognize secure connections can enhance overall cybersecurity posture.
• Adoption of HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security): Encouraging the use of HSTS can help enforce the use of secure connections and mitigate man-in-the-middle attacks.