Convenient SSL implementation
HTTP, still the most commonly used web protocol, is very much like a postcard or unencrypted email when it comes to transmitting data: Anyone who has access to the data can read the information. Because data packets do not take the shortest route – independent of the protocol – but rather the fastest transmission path, you could find that data travels around the world before reaching the recipient. Your packets therefore have no way of avoiding many potential sniffers.
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, HTTPS, helps to mitigate this problem by implementing encrypted and authenticated communication between the web server and the browser. Although a sniffer can still see the data traffic between the two endpoints, it cannot see the content. The Let's Encrypt initiative has the aim of establishing HTTPS globally by making it easy for server operators to implement wherever possible. To make it so, the developers automate the procedures for creating, setting up, and updating SSL certificates with just a single command and within minutes.
The Problem
Whether because of stubbornness, a lack of technical knowledge, or financial reasons, HTTPS is still not seeing widespread use, even though the protocol was developed by Netscape and published as early as 1994 in the Netscape browser. Trusted server certificates are hard to come by free of charge, and the annual costs of these certificates often are not worth the price for private server operators.
[...]
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