Final answer:
HTTPS uses the SSL/TLS protocol to offer greater security for web transactions by encrypting data sent and received between the server and client, ensuring protected communications.
Step-by-step explanation:
Which Protocol Does HTTPS Use?
The protocol that HTTPS uses to offer greater security for web transactions is c) SSL/TLS. HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure and is an extension of HTTP. It is used for secure communication over a computer network within a web browser. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols designed to provide communications security over a network. When using HTTPS, the data sent and received are encrypted, which helps protect against eavesdropping and tampering.
To explain this process further, when you access a website through HTTPS, the server and the client (your web browser) will perform a 'handshake' to establish a secure connection. During this handshake, they agree on the encryption algorithms to use and exchange digital certificates to verify their identities. Once this connection is established, the data transferred between the server and the client is encrypted, meaning that even if intercepted, it would be unreadable without the specific decryption keys.