ITC 4660: Encryption Concepts#
Welcome to Encryption Concepts!
This course is divided into two main parts:
In the first eight weeks, we’ll cover the building blocks of cryptography: the mathematics, and the algorithms, that everything else is built on. We’ll also cover the weaknesses of those things, and how those weaknesses are exploited.
In the following seven weeks, we’ll cover how those building blocks are put together to create systems for real-world use. Again, we’ll cover weaknesses in these systems, and how they are exploited. We’ll also talk about the ethics of cryptography and its uses.
Every week, you’ll be assigned to read part of these notes, and then complete a short quiz to test your understanding of the reading. In addition, some weeks will have a practical exercise to complete, and some weeks will have a graded discussion.
- Introduction
- Bits, Bytes, and Words
- Authenticated Encryption
- Block Ciphers
- Block Cipher Modes
- Hash Functions
- Random Number Generation
- Asymmetric-Key Math
- Discrete-Log Algorithms
- RSA
- Cryptography in Society
- Key Management
- Password Handling and User Authentication
- Cryptography in Practice
- Secure Channel Protocols
- Blockchains and Cryptocurrency
- Appendix: Other Ciphers
- Appendix: Mathematical Details
- References