As the cornerstone of data transmission on the Internet, the security of the HTTP protocol has received widespread attention. However, with the continuous escalation of network security threats, the plain text transmission method of HTTP has been difficult to meet the security needs of modern network communications. 

Therefore, HTTPS came into being and gradually replaced HTTP with its outstanding security advantages, becoming the mainstream protocol for modern network communications.

1. Encryption of data transmission

The most significant advantage of HTTPS over HTTP is the encryption of data transmission. HTTP uses plain text transmission, that is, data is presented in its original form during transmission without any encryption processing. 

This makes it easy for any device in the network to intercept, view or modify HTTP transmitted data, thus posing a great threat to network information security.

HTTPS uses the TLS/SSL (Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer) protocol to encrypt data. The TLS/SSL protocol can establish a secure communication channel between the client and the server, encrypt and decrypt the transmitted data, and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data during transmission.

This encryption makes it difficult for any third party who attempts to eavesdrop, tamper with or maliciously obtain data to obtain readable information, thereby greatly improving the security of data transmission.

2. Website Authentication

HTTPS also provides website authentication function, which is not available in HTTP. In the HTTPS protocol, the website uses a digital certificate to prove its identity. The digital certificate is issued by a trusted third-party organization (such as a certification authority) to prove that the website is legitimate and trustworthy. When a user visits a website using HTTPS, the browser receives the website's digital certificate and verifies its validity.

Through this verification method, users can ensure that the website they are visiting is legitimate and that they can trust the content of the website. This authentication mechanism can effectively prevent identity forgery and malicious attacks and protect the legitimate rights and interests of users.

3. Preventing data tampering

HTTPS also provides a guarantee of the integrity of the transmitted data. In the HTTPS protocol, message authentication codes or hash functions are used to prevent data from being tampered with during transmission. In the communication between the client and the server, a string of checksums is calculated for each data packet. 

If the data is tampered with during transmission, the receiver will find that the checksum does not match and reject the data packet. This data integrity verification mechanism can effectively prevent data tampering and ensure the authenticity and reliability of the data.

IV. Compatibility and search engine rankings

With the continuous development and popularization of HTTPS technology, more and more websites are beginning to adopt the HTTPS protocol. This is mainly due to the wide support of various browsers for HTTPS and the favor of search engines for HTTPS websites. 

Many search engines use whether a website uses HTTPS as an important ranking indicator. Using HTTPS can increase the visibility of the website and improve the ranking of the website in search engine results. This further increases the motivation for websites to adopt HTTPS and promotes the widespread application of HTTPS technology.

V. Performance and resource consumption

Although HTTPS has significant advantages in security, its encryption process consumes more computing resources. Therefore, compared with the HTTP protocol, the performance of the HTTPS protocol is slightly lower. However, with the continuous development and optimization of hardware technology, the performance problems of the HTTPS protocol have gradually been alleviated. 

At the same time, in order to ensure the security of network information, it is acceptable to sacrifice a certain amount of performance.

In summary, HTTPS has significant advantages over HTTP in terms of security. Its advantages in encryption, identity authentication, data integrity, and search engine ranking make HTTPS the mainstream protocol for modern network communications. 

In the future, with the continuous escalation of network security threats and the continuous advancement of technology, HTTPS will play a more important role in ensuring network information security.