HTTPS (HTTP Secure)

HTTPS is HTTP carried over TLS, providing confidentiality, integrity, and server authentication (and optionally client authentication via mTLS) for web traffic. It is the default transport for the modern web, mandatory for browser features such as Service Workers, geolocation, and HTTP/2. HTTPS depends on a healthy certificate ecosystem (public CAs, ACME-based automated issuance, Certificate Transparency) and on operators enforcing HSTS to prevent downgrade to plaintext HTTP.

Categories: Radio Access NetworkSecurity ControlsEncryption and Cryptography

HTTPS in context

The radio access network is where mobile devices attach to the operator's infrastructure. Attacks in this layer include IMSI catching, rogue base stations and downgrade attacks; defenses rest on mutual authentication, integrity-protected signaling and Open RAN supply-chain hygiene.

Security controls span signaling firewalls (SS7/Diameter/GTP screening), transport encryption (IPsec, TLS, PRINS), identity and access on OSS/BSS, and monitoring at both packet and log level. Controls are audited against GSMA FS.11/FS.19/FS.20/FS.36.

To place HTTPS in the wider telecom-security picture, review AP, MAC, RFID, MACsec, 1G and 2G — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.