What type of data does HTTPS protect during transmission?

HTTPS, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, is designed to protect web traffic data during transmission. It uses encryption protocols, specifically TLS (Transport Layer Security) or its predecessor SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), to secure the data being transmitted between a user's web browser and the web server. This ensures that any data exchanged, such as login credentials, personal information, and sensitive content, is encrypted and cannot be easily intercepted or tampered with by malicious entities.

While webpage URLs are part of the transmission, they are not inherently sensitive information and do not benefit from the same level of security that HTTPS provides. Plain text emails and file transfer data, while they can be secured through other means and protocols (like TLS for emails or SFTP for file transfers), are not specifically the focus of HTTPS, which is primarily concerned with secure web browsing and the data transported therein. Therefore, web traffic data is the correct category of information that HTTPS protects, as it encompasses all the data sent and received during web sessions.