Introduction to Applied Cryptography

Course description
Cryptography provides the core toolkit that underpins most digital security technologies.
An understanding of what cryptography does, and its limitations, is critical to developing
a wider appreciation of the security of everyday digital applications. Since cryptography
provides tools for atomic security services such as confidentiality and data integrity, an
appreciation of cryptography also equips you with a fundamental understanding of what
security means in cyberspace. Note that this introductory course adopts a non-
mathematical approach to cryptography and avoids unnecessary technical details.

Course goals and outcomes

In this course you will explore the role of cryptography in supporting digital security for
everyday applications such as the internet, mobile phones, wireless networks and
cryptocurrency. You will develop an understanding of the functionality and purpose of
the main cryptographic tools we use today. You will learn how to make decisions about
which cryptographic tools are most appropriate to deploy in specific settings.

Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Explain the precise role that cryptography plays in the security of any digital
system.
2. Appreciate the breadth of use of cryptography to support security of digital
systems.
3. Identify core concepts and terminology concerning use of cryptography.
4. Assess the points of vulnerability relating to cryptography in any digital system
deploying it.

Textbook and Readings

The learning content is drawn from Chapter 1 of the key text
Keith M. Martin, Everyday Cryptography 2nd Ed., Oxford University Press, 2017

Other pieces of reading are available on the web:

• Post-Quantum Cryptography PQC

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 • C. Ellison and B. Schneier (2000). Ten Risks of PKI: What You're Not Being Told
About Public Key Infrastructure. Computer Security Journal, v 16, n 1, 2000
• Dale Walker (9th June 2020). EU inches closer to ban on end-to-end encryption.

Course outline
The course consists of four weeks that focus on key areas of cyber security.

Key concepts:

Week 1. The Cryptographic Toolkit The need for cryptography and the core security
service.

Learning outcomes:

• Justify the need for cryptography.

• Define several fundamental security services that
cryptography provides and explain how these-
interrelate.
• Identify cryptographic primitives associated with
each security service.

Key concepts:

Uses of cryptography to support a wide range of

Week 2. Applications of Cryptography digital systems.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify a wide range of applications of

cryptography.
• Compare the different security service
requirements of several applications of
cryptography.

Key concepts:

Week 3. Cryptosystems The main components of a cryptosystem and

introduce some core terminology.

Learning outcomes:

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 • Describe a basic model for a cryptosystem.
• Explain the crucial roles in a cryptosystem played
by algorithms and keys.
• Compare symmetric and public-key
cryptosystems, inferring implications about their
different uses.
• Compare the cryptography used in several
everyday applications

Key concepts:

Week 4. Attacking Cryptosystems Various ways in which an attacker could try to

overcome the protection offered by
cryptography.

Learning outcomes:

• Justify standard assumptions about what an

attacker knows about a cryptosystem.
• Categorize different layers of a cryptosystem that
an attacker could exploit.
• Identify some attack techniques against a
cryptosystem

Activities of this course

The course is comprised of the following elements

• Lecture videos.
o Lectures broadly divided into four weeks that evolve from theoretical foundation
to practical application of cryptography.
• Investigating activities.
o Conducting web search and recording findings to a study journal.
• Practice Quizzes.
o Reflective questions with feedback provided after submission of answers.
• Peer Reviewed Assignment.
o One peer reviewed assignment that need to pass by providing constructive
feedback to peers and discuss what you can learn from their work.
• Discussion Prompt.

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 o There are many activities included in discussion prompts in every week which
you will need to complete and share outputs on discussion forum. It is strongly
recommended that learners engage in these debates with their fellow peers.
• Graded quizzes.
o There is a graded quiz in the end of each week.

How to pass this course

The course has five graded assessments each worth 20% of your grade:

Activity Deadline Estimated time % of final

week per module grade

Peer review 4 1 hour 20%

Graded quiz 1 30 min 20%

‘Week 1 test’

Graded quiz 2 30 min 20%

‘Week 2 test’

Graded quiz 3 30 min 20%

‘Week 3 test’

Graded quiz 4 30 min 20%

‘Week 4 test’