What is Port 80? Everything to Know About

If you’ve ever browsed the internet, you’ve utilized Port 80, even if you didn’t know it.

Port 80 is an underlying infrastructure that brings searches to your screen and most of the web traffic we rely upon daily depends on this Port. Everything that pops up on the World Wide Web is brought to the client by a Port.

However, Port 80 is often a target for hackers; that’s why it’s important to understand what exactly it is and how the risks can be mitigated.

This blog will analyze the uses, shared risks, and best practices regarding Port 80.

What is Port 80?

Before we move forward to learn what Port 80 is, let’s first have a quick overview of what is port.

A port serves as a communication endpoint in computer networking. It is employed to designate particular procedures or offerings. Through ports, many apps running on the same system can use the network’s resources without interfering with one another.

In simpler terms, ports facilitate network communication between different applications, which can be done quickly using the same network. They allow communication between processes that are executing on various systems.

Here are some facts about Ports that might interest you:

• Ports range from 0 to 65535.
• You can open or close ports based on your security needs and preferences.
• Firewalls restrict access to ports so there is no unauthorized communication. This is why passwords allow you to access that communication by being authorized.
• The Operating System manages the ports, and they are software-based.

What is Port 80 used for?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) commonly uses Port 80 for network traffic. HTTP is the underlying protocol for WWW (World Wide Web), which defines how all browsers request web pages from servers.

Suppose you enter a URL in your browser to access some content from the Internet. Immediately, a message is sent to the server where that website is hosted to bring the result.

Port 80 delivers that content by completing the user request and the server(website) request. Port 80 is the HTTP protocol’s communication channel between the user and the server. 

Now, a question arises:

Are HTTP websites safe to browse? Absolutely not; these websites are vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Then, Why is Port 80 the Default for HTTP?

Port 80 has been the default for HTTP since its inception in the early 1990s. At that time, the only goal was to establish a standardized way for web browsers and servers to communicate. That’s why encryption and data security were not as prominent concerns as they are today.

Also Read: ​​Port 80 (HTTP) vs. Port 443 (HTTPS): Major Difference

However as the prevalence of cyberattacks was seen growing continuously, the need for secure communication became apparent. So, Port 443 was developed to address security concerns by encrypting the data transferred between clients and servers.

What are the Most Common Uses of Port 80?

Regular Web Content over HTTP is served by Port 80 across many networks and systems:

Essential Websites

If a website does not contain any sensitive data, it is called an essential website. Such a website can use Port 80 to serve its content. When you come across a small business website using HTTP protocol, it is hosted on Port 80. If there is a website about a personal blog, it is hosted on Port 80.

Also Read: HTTP vs HTTPS The Technical Difference Explained

Today, even significant websites use HTTPS by default, which benefits SEO and improves security. Port 80 can also redirect to an HTTPS site.

Small Servers

Some significant servers use Port 80 to host themselves. These are servers that are remote or still in production processes. Two of the best examples for them are:

• Apache HTTP Server
• Nginx

These servers are unencrypted and do not have sensitive information in their communication channels. This is why they are still hosting their information on Port 80. Another reason for this could be the traffic driven by Port 80.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The term “Internet of Things” (IoT) describes a network of networked objects embedded with software, sensors, and other technologies to communicate and gather data, allowing for more intelligent and responsive interactions with the surroundings.

These devices are Bluetooth speakers, OK Google, etc. Most devices would be hosted on Port 80 if you have a smart home.

Internet Hardware Devices

Port 80 is also used for managing networking for some hardware devices like:

• Routers, Switches, Printers, and access points.
• Management Tools with Remote Access.
• Appliances like load balancers and proxies.

However, more advanced hardware is transitioning to secure protocols like HTTPS.

When to Use Port 80?

Port 80 is widely known for its ease and convenience. Even though it poses a severe security threat, if your website is unfazed by such threats as a Blogging or small business website, you can opt for Port 80. It also has the following benefits:

• Data in plain text format can be transmitted over port 80.
• The site addresses are more straightforward to distinguish, thanks to port 80.
• Setting up web servers to operate on Port 80 is quite simple.

What happens if you can not access Port 80?

If Port 80 is explicitly turned off in the firewall, applications and websites using regular HTTP will stop being accessible to anyone and will not load.

Here are some common scenarios that might occur so Port 80 gets closed or blocked:

• Local network firewalls block unauthorized internet traffic.
• Iptables rules in Linux close off Port 80/
• Cloud Providers may have disabled Port 80 for their infrastructure by default.
• When HTTPS is forced to be used, HTTP traffic is intentionally denied.
• If you are accessing the internet in an organization that restricts access to non-essential ports as a part of its security policies.

Whenever Port 80 is inaccessible, users will start getting timeout errors on their screens and cannot connect via HTTP. This is because the HTTP protocol runs on Port 80. However, HTTPS sites that run on Port 443 will still be running and working fine. This is another reason why people are switching to HTTPS and Port 443.

Admins can configure the settings and reopen Port 80 if needed for HTTP services. But if you want improved security on your production systems, you should close off Port 80. HTTPS and Port 443 are recommended for such goals.

What are the Best Practices for Using Port 80?

Following security and configuration best practices is prudent if you want to use Port 80 most effectively and efficiently without risking security too much.

We have curated some of the best practices below:

• If you work with private or secure/sensitive data, you should switch to HTTPS instead of HTTP. It makes the transmission safer and smoother.
• You should expose Port 80 solely on internal server interfaces and keep the rest of the interfaces safe by keeping Port 80 with restricted access.
• A web application firewall is very useful and helps secure your data further. Rate limiting can also be used to monitor and control HTTP traffic.
• If HTTP is required for your work, ensure that you implement proper access controls and security for your account.
• Use TLS certificates and enable HTTPS even for non-sensitive content to improve security.
• Always redirect all HTTP port 80 requests to HTTPS Port 443 whenever possible. This will increase your chances of being secure.
• If HTTP is unnecessary, close Port 80 entirely and employ Port 443 and HTTPS.
• Take the help of security tools like network intrusion detection systems to watch for suspicious Port 80 behaviors.

What are the Common Risks Associated with using Port 80?

Despite being widely used as one of the internet’s fundamental tenets, Port 80 has several inherent hazards due to its relational nature and unsecured nature.

Here are some of the most common threats coming from Port 80 that most network users and administrators may have experienced:

Unencrypted Data Transmission

Traffic over HTTP Port 80 is unencrypted, which means a third party can easily access any data or communication between the client and the server party. Anyone who has access to the data stream can intercept this communication.

This exposes all your passwords, payment information, and personal data to potentially harmful entities. This is why you should never put your passwords anywhere that is not encrypted.

Data Integrity Issues

Suppose there is no encryption; data can be easily accessed and tampered with. This means that there is no guarantee that the user will receive the same data that the server is sensing. Attackers can easily manipulate your data while it is in transit.

They can inject malicious and threatening content, alter information, and create false information to send to the client. This can mislead users or even potentially damage the system with malware.

Lack of Authentication

There is no inherent way to identify the identities involved in the communication. Port 80 lacks ways to authenticate the parties. This absence is considered very dangerous because you need to figure out who you are sending the data to or who is sending you the data.

This can lead to Spoofing attacks, in which someone pretends to be a legitimate server or client and gains access to your sensitive information. They can then use that information as they please.

Risk of Session Hijacking and Injection Attacks

Session Hijacking occurs when a hacker steals session cookies (which contain information about you and what is happening in the session) and transmits them over HTTP easily. The hacker can then impersonate themselves as legitimate users of the platform and gain access to web applications.

Injection attacks like SQL Injection or Cross-site scripting (XSS) are very high on Port 80. These attacks use the vulnerability in your web applications and inject malicious, dangerous code into them. This can then be either executed by the client or server and destroy the platform.

Other than these common risks, there is also an increased risk of Phishing attacks, Downgrade attacks, and Man-in-the-middle attacks. However, to avoid such scenarios, you can always follow the guidelines we procured in the Best Practices section above.

Conclusion

To conclude, port 80 is one of the core protocols driving the contemporary web. All HTTP Internet traffic uses this port to distribute web content, power apps through APIs, serve web assets, and allow networked systems to talk to browsers.

When using port 80, appropriate security measures like encryption, firewall regulations, traffic monitoring, and access controls are required. By comprehending its applications, identifying the hazards, and implementing best practices, we can guarantee a safer and more effective online experience.

Understanding how Port 80 functions and how it enables communication between the server and the client is very important for anyone managing networks, servers, and applications. This blog covered everything you need to know about Port 80 to be safe, secure, and have a seamless experience over the Internet.