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There are 4 modules in this course
The Cutting-Edge Blockchain Security Mechanics course is a part of the Certified Blockchain Security Professional (CBSP) Exam Prep Specialization and introduces you to fundamental cryptographic principles. You will gain insight into concepts such as an overview of security challenges, inherently vulnerable particularities, programming vulnerabilities, and attacks and measures in cryptographic systems and smart contracts. The course also delves into threats like denial-of-service attacks and race conditions and strategies to address them.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Explore architectural and cryptographic security measures designed to safeguard cryptographic systems and smart contracts.
2. Explain various security vulnerabilities, threats in smart contract development, reentrancy, unchecked return values, and phishing attacks.
3. Identify and mitigate common security threats, such as denial of service attacks, race conditions, and frontrunning, among others.
This course is best suited for individuals interested in blockchain security and cybersecurity, and it is suitable for both coding and non-coding professionals.
In this module, you will gain insight into the architectural security measures implemented in blockchain technology for secure communication. You will also learn about various cryptographic security measures to enhance the security of blockchain. Further, you will also explore advanced privacy-enhancing features in blockchain along with the concepts of confidential transactions that protect your data. Finally, you will learn about cryptographic techniques, such as homomorphic encryption and threshold cryptography to enable security and privacy.
Practice quiz: Blockchain privacy measures•8 minutes
Practice quiz: Transaction security•4 minutes
Graded quiz: Advanced strategies for blockchain security•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
Meet and greet•15 minutes
Smart contract vulnerabilities: Part 1
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will discover smart contract security by exploring various vulnerabilities and threats that have the potential to compromise the integrity of blockchain-based applications. You will discover the concepts of reentrancy in smart contract security and the risks associated with arithmetic operations. You will also gain insight into the significance of validating return values from external function calls. Furthermore, you will explore phishing attacks that attack tx.origin variable. Finally, you will learn about the role of oracles in the blockchain ecosystem, and the common mistakes committed during the deployment of smart contracts.
What's included
7 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 36 minutes
Reentrancy and access control•7 minutes
Arithmetic and unchecked return value•5 minutes
Tx.origin phishing attack and default visibility•5 minutes
Compromised oracles•7 minutes
Incorrect deploy and post-deploy settings•5 minutes
Delegatecall attack•4 minutes
Sanitization of function parameters and false security guarantee•3 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Real-world examples of smart contract exploits•5 minutes
3 assignments•Total 44 minutes
Practice quiz: Smart contract security—1•8 minutes
Practice quiz: Smart contract security—2•6 minutes
Graded quiz: Smart contract vulnerabilities: Part 1•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Phishing attacks and compromised oracles on smart contract security•10 minutes
Smart contract vulnerabilities: Part 2
Module 3•1 hour to complete
Module details
In this module, you will learn the importance of implementing robust security mechanisms in blockchain systems to prevent blockchain from potential exploits. You will explore various security implications related to denial-of-service attacks, timestamp dependence, and short addresses, among others. Additionally, you will gain insights into the concepts of race conditions vulnerabilities and front-running attacks that compromise the security of smart contracts. Finally, you will also learn the techniques for preventing the risks associated with race conditions, front-running, and shadowing variables and explore some real-life examples of security attacks and the techniques used by attackers to compromise blockchain systems.
What's included
6 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 25 minutes
Denial of service and bad randomness•5 minutes
Timestamp dependence and short addresses•4 minutes
Race conditions and frontrunning•4 minutes
Shadowing variables•3 minutes
Signature replay and incorrect inheritance order•5 minutes
Real-life attacks•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 3 minutes
Proactive mitigation strategies for smart contract vulnerabilities•3 minutes
3 assignments•Total 42 minutes
Practice quiz: Smart contract attacks: Part 1•6 minutes
Practice quiz: Smart contract attacks: Part 2 •6 minutes
Graded assessment: Smart contract vulnerabilities: Part 2 •30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
Denial-of-service attacks•15 minutes
Peer review assignment
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
This is a peer-review assignment that explores different aspects of blockchain security, covering tools like multi-signatures and techniques like zero-knowledge proofs. From safeguarding against reentrancy to addressing real-world threats like denial-of-service, learners delve into practical challenges. The study encourages proposing solutions, fostering a robust understanding of securing blockchain systems.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 peer review
Show info about module content
1 video•Total 2 minutes
Course wrap-up•2 minutes
2 readings•Total 2 minutes
Congratulations and next steps•1 minute
Thanks from the course team•1 minute
1 peer review•Total 180 minutes
Enhancing security in a blockchain ecosystem•180 minutes
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
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Is financial aid available?
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