SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its successor TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols that secure internet connections between clients and servers. SSL was originally developed by Netscape in the 1990s to provide HTTPS secure connections for web browsing. It uses public/private key encryption and digital certificates to authenticate servers and establish encrypted connections to securely transmit data over TCP/IP networks like the internet. TLS improved upon SSL by addressing security vulnerabilities and supporting newer encryption algorithms. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the underlying protocol used to request and transmit web pages and other files over the internet. Combining HTTP with SSL/TLS results in HTTPS, the secure version of HTTP used for encrypted web browsing and transactions.