The Internet Without Cryptography
Imagine a world where all internet traffic is readable — and understand what cryptography prevents.
What Plaintext HTTP Looks Like
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) was designed in the early 1990s with no encryption. Every request and response is sent as human-readable text over the network.
This means any router, ISP, or attacker between you and the server can read your login credentials, personal information, and the content of every page you visit.
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks Explained
In a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, an attacker positions themselves between two communicating parties and relays traffic, potentially reading or modifying it. On an unencrypted network, this requires no special effort.
The attacker can see all data, inject malicious content into responses, or silently modify form submissions such as changing a bank transfer destination.
All lessons in this course
- Encryption in Messaging Apps
- How Banks Protect Your Transactions
- The Internet Without Cryptography
- Your Digital Life and Cryptography