HSTS HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is a web security policy mechanism that forces web browsers to interact with a website using only HTTPS (secure HTTP) connections, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks and protocol downgrade attacks. It achieves this by sending a "Strict-Transport-Security" HTTP response header from the server to the browser, instructing it to always use HTTPS for future visits to that site and its subdomains (if specified). Here's a more detailed explanation: How HSTS Works: 1. Initial HTTPS Connection: The first time a user accesses a website with HSTS enabled, they must connect using HTTPS, and the server sends back an HSTS header. 2. HSTS Header: The header includes a max-age directive, specifying how long (in seconds) the browser should remember to use HTTPS for that domain. It may also include includeSubDomains to apply the rule to all subdomains, and preload to allow the site to be included in a browser's built-in list of HSTS sites...