What is the best description of how HTTPS combines protocols?

What is the best description of how HTTPS combines protocols?

• A. HTTPS runs TLS by itself without HTTP.
• B. The website uses HTTPS.
• C. HTTPS retrieves webpages using HTTP and uses the TLS protocol to wrap the HTTP requests and responses in a layer of security.
• D. HTTPS uses DNS over TLS.

Answer: (C)

HTTPS combines the web’s HTTP with a secure transport layer provided by TLS. The secure part (TLS) handles encryption, authentication, and data integrity, while HTTP defines how requests and responses are formatted and exchanged. In practice, the browser and server first perform a TLS handshake to establish a trusted, encrypted connection, often exchanging a certificate to prove identity. Once that secure channel is in place, HTTP requests and responses travel inside it, so the content is confidential and tamper-resistant as it moves across the network. That’s why this description is the best: it correctly describes HTTP being wrapped by TLS to secure the communication. The other options miss how the protocols combine or refer to a different security use (like encrypting DNS rather than the web traffic).

HTTPS combines the web’s HTTP with a secure transport layer provided by TLS. The secure part (TLS) handles encryption, authentication, and data integrity, while HTTP defines how requests and responses are formatted and exchanged. In practice, the browser and server first perform a TLS handshake to establish a trusted, encrypted connection, often exchanging a certificate to prove identity. Once that secure channel is in place, HTTP requests and responses travel inside it, so the content is confidential and tamper-resistant as it moves across the network. That’s why this description is the best: it correctly describes HTTP being wrapped by TLS to secure the communication. The other options miss how the protocols combine or refer to a different security use (like encrypting DNS rather than the web traffic).