# HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, using TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption to protect data in transit between the client and server. HTTPS ensures three key security properties: confidentiality (data cannot be read by intermediaries), integrity (data cannot be modified in transit), and authentication (the server's identity is verified through its TLS certificate). HTTPS requires a valid TLS certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA). Certificates can be obtained from providers like Let's Encrypt (free) or commercial CAs. The TLS handshake establishes an encrypted connection before any HTTP data is exchanged. Modern best practices mandate HTTPS for all web traffic, not just pages handling sensitive data. For APIs, HTTPS is essential. All API traffic should be encrypted to protect API keys, authentication tokens, and payload data. API gateways typically handle TLS termination, decrypting incoming HTTPS requests and forwarding them to backend services over internal networks. This centralizes certificate management and offloads the computational cost of encryption from backend services. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.serverlessapigateway.com/glossary/h/https-hypertext-transfer-protocol-secure.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.