Microsoft has updated its Update Catalog to offer its download packages via HTTPS. The website is popular among advanced users and system administrators. They often download the packages to install them manually, deploy them, or integration into a Windows image.
Previously, if you wanted to download an update from the Microsoft update catalog, you had to deal with an HTTP connection. Clicking the download or right-click it and selecting "Save as" lead to the file being downloaded over an insecure connection.
However, with modern browsers requiring secure connections everywhere, it quickly became a problem. Now HTTPS is used by default, so you will no longer see the browser complaining about the missing protection for Update Catalog.
Here is how the links were looking prior this change.
http://download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/software/updt/2022/03/windows10.0-kb5011563-x64_7ea60e6500c8a8535880719799e4e7f7e9d3961f.msu
Now, all the links start with HTTPS.
https://catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/software/updt/2022/03/windows10.0-kb5011563-arm64_b17fbb4bf86fcf66b5971d076ffdb7d570002c4e.msu
So all the links have changed from download.windowsupdate.com to catalog.s.download.windowsupdate.com. It is unclear why it took Microsoft so long to switch to HTTPS - which is not particularly challenging from a purely technical point of view.
It is worth noting that all HTTP links remain active, but it is unknown for how long. Perhaps Microsoft will eventually switch to the secure protocol exclusively.
As for Insider ISO images, Microsoft already serves them via HTTPS for long (via deskmodder).
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Windows 11 users and newest users makes the switch to Linux, Mac and/or Chromebook.
Windows 11 Pro users now required to sign up or sign in during internet setup on future build and I think no more privacy!
You can see where MS wants to go with Windows. You either have to comply with it, or you have to leave. Microsoft can do whatever they want, it’s their OS. The last good OS from Microsoft was the beginning of Windows 7. It started going downhill at the end of it too.
Microsoft has missed a lot since Windows mobile did not break through. Young people don’t use computers the same way we do. Somehow they have to make money. It will be with advertising, selling your data and services like OneDrive and so on.
You have to keep in mind that they have locked many companies with their software. A home user usually doesn’t have as much trouble switching to Linux, for example.