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Thread: HTTP vs HTTPS
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2018-03-19, 05:39 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2016
- Location
- Brinstar Depths
- Gender
HTTP vs HTTPS
Hello everyone! I recently (as in, ten minutes ago) noticed that GitP is listed as a 'not secure' connection. So anyone with an onion router or something similar (I know just enough about computers to get me in trouble) could do...to be honest, I'm not sure what, but it's mildly concerning. Is there a reason behind this? Is it more expensive to move to https connections? What's the deal here?
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2018-03-19, 05:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2012
- Location
- In the Playground, duh.
Re: HTTP vs HTTPS
Why, what information are you sending to Giant forums that you're worried will get stolen in transit? It's not like your posts aren't visible anyway, and you are using a different password for each site you visit, right?
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2018-03-19, 05:46 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2016
- Location
- Brinstar Depths
- Gender
Re: HTTP vs HTTPS
So it can't be used as a back door into my computer? (Like I said, I know just enough to get me in trouble.)
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2018-03-19, 05:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2012
- Location
- In the Playground, duh.
Re: HTTP vs HTTPS
No. If you downloaded and ran an executable file from an unverified publisher, that might do it, but connecting via HTTP isn't going to be used to hack your computer. If you really want, there are browser add-ons like HTTPS Everywhere which will force a secure connection anyway.
(You can also manually force a secure connection and then get your browser to add an exception when it complains, if you like).
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2018-03-20, 05:52 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2017
Re: HTTP vs HTTPS
This thread would really be better in the science/technology subforum. They can explain what all these little details mean. (E.G: Onion routing is something you do, never something that's done to you.) A little knowledge is only a dangerous thing if it leads you to go into risky places you wouldn't otherwise know about. Otherwise, ignorance is far more likely to lead to trouble.
Specific to HTTPS, I'll repeat what Jormengand said. A secure connection only makes it harder for people to eavesdrop on what you send to the site and what it sends back to you. Important if it's something key like financial information or your primary email account, less so for a random forum. Nobody's going to be sneaking malware onto your computer just because your connection was not encrypted.
Malware in general tends to come from two places. Sometimes, the bad guys will just probe random computers around the internet, and ones that are receptive to random connections will be taken over. This is why you want to ensure that you have good security software and keep it up to date. Otherwise, they'll hope you download it yourself. Either being unlucky by visiting a page that attempts to inject malware, dumb enough to voluntarily download a sketchy file, or both by going to some of the sketchier sites out there without being well prepared. Again, good, up to date security software will help if an otherwise benign site happens to be running a bad ad. (Something that's been known to happen to even the best of places.) But if a bad ad did wind up getting past the ad service the forums use, browsing over HTTPS wouldn't save you.
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2018-03-20, 02:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2010
- Gender
Re: HTTP vs HTTPS
Plague Doctor by Crimmy
Ext. Sig (Handbooks/Creations)
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2018-03-20, 08:31 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- Australia
- Gender
Re: HTTP vs HTTPS
"My Hobby: Replacing your soap with gravy" by rtg0922, Doll and Clint "Rawhide" Eastwood by Sneak