Which protocol is primarily used for secure web traffic?

The protocol primarily used for secure web traffic is HTTPS, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is an extension of HTTP and is designed to provide a secure communication channel over a computer network. HTTPS utilizes encryption protocols such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to secure the data transmitted between a user's web browser and the server, ensuring that sensitive information like login credentials, credit card numbers, and personal data is protected from eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.

In contrast, HTTP does not provide any encryption, making it unsuitable for transmitting sensitive information over the internet. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is intended for transferring files and does not focus on secure web communication, while SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used for sending emails. Thus, they do not address the security requirements associated with web traffic in the same way that HTTPS does.