What is a commonly used protocol for secure data transmission?

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a widely used protocol designed for secure data transmission over the internet. It builds on the standard HTTP by incorporating security measures through the use of TLS (Transport Layer Security) or SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). This ensures that the data exchanged between a user's browser and a web server is encrypted, protecting it from interception and tampering by unauthorized parties. The implementation of HTTPS not only encrypts the data but also provides authentication, confirming that users are communicating with the intended web server rather than an imposter.

In contrast, HTTP lacks these security features, making it unsuitable for transmitting sensitive information. While SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is also a secure protocol, it's specific to file transfer and not as commonly associated with general web traffic compared to HTTPS. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) does not encrypt data by default, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping, which highlights the necessity of using secure protocols like HTTPS for safeguarding data during transmission.