Includes mandatory SSL server certificate verification by default and restricts requests to well-known non-HTTP ports (like SMTP or FTP) to prevent exploits.
Native support for Internet Protocol Version 6, allowing requests to be sent to IPv6 addresses.
Offers a Component Object Model (COM) component ( WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5.1 ) frequently used in VBScript and VBA for automated web tasks. Common Use Cases Whats New in WinHTTP 5.1 - Win32 apps - Microsoft Learn
WinHTTP 5.1 introduced several major improvements over version 5.0 to enhance security and performance:
You do not need to download a separate installer for WinHTTP 5.1 on modern systems. It is included by default in the following operating systems: Windows Server 2003 (SP1) and later Windows XP (SP1) and later Windows 2000 (SP3) and later For Legacy Systems