HTTP is an application layer protocol for distributed, collaborative hypermedia information systems. It uses a request/response model where clients send requests to a server, which responds with status codes and messages. HTTP works over TCP and uses ports 80 and 443. HTTPS is HTTP secured with TLS/SSL for encryption and authentication to prevent eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. Key aspects of HTTP include methods, headers, cookies, caching, and TLS handshake.