This study provides a comprehensive technical overview of HTTPS, the protocol that secures web communications. It traces the evolution from SSL to modern TLS, detailing the layered architecture, cryptographic protocols, and certificate infrastructure that underpin HTTPS. The research highlights improvements in TLS 1.3, security enhancements, and performance optimizations including session resumption and HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 protocols. Challenges such as certificate management, emerging threats, and metadata privacy are examined. The findings offer actionable insights for cybersecurity professionals and system architects to improve secure web deployments amid evolving internet threats.