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John Elliott

This course will teach you why cryptography is essential to modern businesses, the basic terms and language that is used, and how cryptography fails or is attacked. This course contains no mathematics.

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This course will teach you why cryptography is essential to modern businesses, the basic terms and language that is used, and how cryptography fails or is attacked. This course contains no mathematics.

Tech leaders need a fundamental understanding of the business uses of cryptography and the common problems associated with using crypto. In this course, Cryptography: Executive Briefing, you will gain the foundational knowledge needed to understand where and how cryptography should be used. First you'll discover how cryptography can guarantee the integrity of a message, the identity of the originator and the secrecy of a message or file. Next, you'll learn at a high level (there's no mathematics) about the role of cryptographic keys and the two different types of cryptography. Finally, you'll discover the three ways how cryptography is defeated by attackers and how to prevent this happening.

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What's inside

Syllabus

How Cryptography Protects Business Transactions
Understanding Cryptographic Principals and Implementation
Common Problems and Attacks against Encryption

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Suitable for non-technical business leaders and technology teams alike
Provides a high-level overview of cryptography, making it accessible to those without a mathematical background
Covers essential concepts such as cryptographic principles, implementation, and common attacks
Taught by John Elliott, an experienced instructor in cryptography
Focuses on the business uses of cryptography rather than its technical implementation
May not provide sufficient depth for those seeking a more technical understanding of cryptography

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Cryptography: Executive Briefing with these activities:
Review a book on modern cryptography
Reading a comprehensive book on the subject allows you to delve deeper into cryptography and gain a broader perspective.
Show steps
Explore online tutorials on cryptography
Following online tutorials provides a practical and in-depth understanding of cryptographic concepts and their applications.
Show steps
  • Identify reputable sources providing cryptography tutorials.
  • Choose tutorials that align with your learning objectives.
  • Follow the tutorials step-by-step, taking notes and experimenting with the concepts.
Join a cryptography discussion group
Engaging in discussions with peers exposes you to diverse perspectives and enhances your understanding.
Show steps
  • Find a discussion forum or online community focused on cryptography.
  • Participate actively in discussions, sharing your knowledge and asking questions.
Four other activities
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Show all seven activities
Solve cryptography exercises
Solving cryptography exercises reinforces your understanding of cryptographic principles and algorithms.
Show steps
  • Find online resources or books with cryptography exercises.
  • Attempt to solve the exercises using the concepts learned in the course.
  • Review your solutions and identify areas for improvement.
Create a presentation on a cryptography topic
Creating a presentation solidifies your understanding and enhances your ability to communicate these concepts.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific topic within cryptography that interests you.
  • Research the topic thoroughly, gathering information from credible sources.
  • Organize your presentation logically, outlining the key points and examples.
  • Create visual aids to support your presentation and make it more engaging.
  • Deliver your presentation to an audience, such as your peers or a local tech meetup.
Develop a prototype for a cryptography-based application
Building a prototype provides hands-on experience in applying cryptographic concepts to real-world scenarios.
Show steps
  • Identify a specific problem or need that can be addressed using cryptography.
  • Design the architecture and functionality of the application, considering security and privacy aspects.
  • Implement the prototype using appropriate programming languages and cryptographic libraries.
  • Test and evaluate the prototype, ensuring it meets the desired requirements.
Participate in a cryptography hackathon
Participating in a hackathon challenges your skills, exposes you to innovative ideas, and fosters teamwork.
Show steps
  • Find and register for a relevant cryptography hackathon.
  • Team up with other participants or work independently.
  • Develop a solution to the proposed challenge within the time frame.
  • Present your solution to the judges and receive feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Cryptography: Executive Briefing will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Cryptographer
Cryptographers design and implement solutions to protect information. To do this, they need to understand how cryptography operates, including its advantages and disadvantages. This course helps build the foundation needed to succeed in this role.
Network Security Engineer
Network Security Engineers protect networks and the information that flows through them. This requires knowledge of cryptography, and this course helps build the foundation for this knowledge.
Security Engineer
Security Engineers implement solutions to protect an organization's infrastructure. This requires knowledge of how cryptography can help protect this infrastructure, making this course valuable for a Security Engineer.
Security Architect
Security Architects design an organization's security posture. Since cryptography is foundational to security, this course helps build the foundation for understanding cryptography.
Business Analyst
Business Analysts help companies make informed decisions by analyzing data. Since they work with sensitive information, it's important to keep it safe using best practices such as encryption. This course helps build a foundation for working with encryption that can help a Business Analyst succeed at their firm.
Information Security Analyst
Information Security Analysts protect an organization's digital infrastructure, which requires a solid understanding of cryptography. This course helps build a foundation for understanding and implementing cryptography.
Risk Analyst
Risk Analysts analyze how organizations handle risk, so understanding how to manage and mitigate risks related to cryptography is highly valuable. This course helps provide a foundation for this knowledge.
Security Consultant
Security Consultants help organizations improve their security posture. Understanding how cryptography is used, and its risks, is highly valuable to a Security Consultant, which is why this course is beneficial.
Penetration Tester
Penetration Testers discover vulnerabilities in an organization's IT systems. Understanding how cryptography is used can help them find ways to exploit these systems, which can help secure them.
Software Developer
Software Developers need to build solutions that are secure. Understanding how cryptography is used, and how to protect sensitive data, can help Developers build more secure products. This course helps build a foundation for this knowledge.
Data Scientist
Data Scientists build models that rely on sensitive information. Knowledge of cryptography is key to success in this role, as it helps protect these models and the sensitive data they rely on. This course can help a Data Scientist build the knowledge of cryptography they need for success.
Product Manager
Product Managers develop products that rely on sensitive data. Understanding cryptography helps Product Managers make good choices about how to protect user data, which can make their product more secure and successful.
IT Consultant
IT Consultants help businesses improve how they use IT. Since cryptography impacts so many areas of IT, the course can help build the knowledge for an IT Consultant.
IT Auditor
IT Auditors ensure that an organization's IT systems are compliant with regulations. Knowledge of cryptography is critical for understanding how organizations use cryptography and the risks associated with it, which is why this course can be valuable for an IT Auditor.
Systems Engineer
Systems Engineers design, implement, and maintain systems that process sensitive data. This requires a solid understanding of how cryptography can help protect this data, which is why this course may be useful for a Systems Engineer.

Reading list

We've selected 12 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Cryptography: Executive Briefing.
The book provides a general overview of the entire field of cryptography and network security, alongside exploring current and emerging network security issues.
The book helps build a solid foundation in network security, putting forth clear and in-depth explanations of network security concepts using a structured and coherent approach.
This approachable introduction to cryptography conveys difficult concepts in an easy-to-understand manner, even for those with no prior knowledge in mathematics or computer science.
This comprehensive textbook offers a comprehensive coverage of various cryptographic techniques and algorithms, incorporating real-world applications and examples throughout.
Offers a comprehensive view of security engineering principles and best practices.
Provides hands-on experience with cryptography and teaches how to break various types of ciphers using Python.
Delves into the practical aspects of cryptography, emphasizing the design and implementation of cryptographic systems.
Takes a historical approach to cryptography, tracing its evolution from ancient methods to modern-day techniques.

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