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

Security controls in telecom span signaling firewalls (SS7/Diameter/GTP screening at the network edge), transport encryption (IPsec, TLS, PRINS), identity and access on OSS/BSS, and monitoring at both the packet and log level. Controls are audited against GSMA FS.11/FS.19/FS.20/FS.36 and, in Europe, NIS2 sectoral rules.

To place HTTPS in the wider telecom-security picture, review MACsec, EAP, HTTP/2 Security in 5G, AP, RADIUS and SSID.

Related terms

Related topic hubs

  • SEPP Security N32-c/N32-f, PRINS, JWE and OAuth 2.0 at the 5G roaming edge.

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.