Define
HTTPS is an acronym for Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure. It is simply a TCP/IP protocol for the Internet. It is used by Web browsers to securely transfer and display hypermedia documents across the Internet. A hypermedia document is any document with text, sound, videos, etc.The protocol is simply a standard code in which web pages can be viewed through an Internet browser.

Detail
For example, when an online banker accesses their bank account, the URL address would say "HTTPS" instead of "HTTP". This is simply saying that the connection between the bank and the computer is secure. HTTPS is also related to Secure Socket Layering,or SSL, which uses encryption to transmit infromation such as credit card numbers and other personal information over the Internet securely.




Resources
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/webservers/httpservers/doc/v2047/manual/ibm/en_US/
http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0513.htm
http://www.chainforge.net/cbesbWiki/Wiki.jsp?page=Glossary
http://www.microsoft.com/library/media/1033/protect/images/online/74349_https_F.jpg