Cryptography is an essential part of secure but accessible communication that's critical for our everyday life and organisations use it to protect their privacy and keep their conversations and data confidential. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating world of cryptography, covering both historical cyphers and modern-day cryptographic techniques.
In this course, you will explore the foundations of encryption, decryption, and cryptographic protocols. Through a combination of theoretical concepts, practical examples, and hands-on exercises, you will gain a solid understanding of the principles and applications of cryptography.
Join this fascinating course to explore the world of cryptography and learn how secrets have been kept in the past and the modern world.
This course is one of many, offered by Click Start, a UK training programme designed to help young people develop digital skills. Click Start offers a limited number of scholarships giving free access to young people in the UK. Check the FAQs to see more detail and follow the link to check if you are eligible for free access today.
Welcome to the first week of the course! We will start the week with an exploration of what cryptography is and what it is used for and then move on to look at some cryptographic techniques, via some ancient cryptography. Although these ancient cryptographic techniques are not very useful in modern life, they are good at demonstrating some of the concepts that are still used in modern day cryptography. Week 1 lays the foundation for Week 2, when we will turn our attention to modern cryptography.
Welcome to An Introduction to Cryptography•10 minutes
Lesson 1: Overview•5 minutes
An introduction to simple cryptography•10 minutes
The three roles of cryptography•10 minutes
Lesson 1: Summary and next steps•5 minutes
Lesson 2: Overview•10 minutes
What is a 'simple cipher'?•15 minutes
Your turn: Try out a simple cipher•10 minutes
Simple ciphers: Substitution ciphers•10 minutes
Simple ciphers: Transposition ciphers•10 minutes
Simple ciphers: Permutation ciphers•10 minutes
Simple ciphers: Polygraphic ciphers•15 minutes
Your turn: Simple ciphers exercise•30 minutes
Vulnerabilities of simple ciphers•10 minutes
Lesson 2: Summary and next steps•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Check your understanding: Simple ciphers•10 minutes
4 discussion prompts•Total 40 minutes
What are you looking forward to?•10 minutes
Researching ciphers•10 minutes
What type of cipher did you find?•10 minutes
End of Week 1: Reflections•10 minutes
Week 2: Modern cryptography
Module 2•5 hours to complete
Module details
Welcome to Week 2. In this week you will bring your knowledge about cryptography up to date in the modern day. This is where we start to look at more complex methods for more complex contemporary requirements. To start off, you will be introduced to a concept called 'public key cryptography' which is extensively used on the internet. You will then learn about hash functions and how some cryptographic techniques can be used to produce a digital signature.
Established in 1904, the University of Leeds is ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK, globally renowned for its excellence in teaching and quality of research. Our academic expertise and the breadth of disciplines we cover, provides a wealth of opportunities and has real impact worldwide.
This course is part of Click Start, a UK training programme designed to help young people develop digital skills. Click Start is offering a limited number of scholarships giving free access to young people in the UK.
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Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.