Over 10,600 confirmed breaches were reported globally in 2024, exposing millions of records, including sensitive healthcare and financial data. Organizations need cybersecurity professionals who can protect them against this costly risk. This Encryption and Cryptography Essentials course gives aspiring cybersecurity professionals job-ready skills in encryption, hashing, and digital signatures—key competencies employers are looking for.
Encryption and Cryptography Essentials
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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level
Recommended experience
15 hours to complete
3 weeks at 5 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
Job-ready encryption and cryptography skills for cybersecurity employers need in just 4 weeks.
How to classify cryptographic algorithms and key exchange protocols and identify their applications in securing data
How to identify and apply encryption techniques to secure communication and ensure data privacy.
How to use hashing algorithms and digital signatures in blockchain to secure transactions, validate identities, and ensure data integrity.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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Recently updated!
January 2025
Assessments
10 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 4 modules in this course
In this module, you will learn the foundational concepts of cryptography and its essential role in data security. You will classify cryptographic algorithms by their functions. and conduct cryptanalysis using OpenSSL. The module covers asymmetric and symmetric cryptography principles, including RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), with practical exercises in RSA and AES encryption. Additionally, you will explore key exchange protocols like Diffie-Hellman and The Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH), culminating in hands-on experience with Diffie-Hellman key exchanges for secure data transmission
What's included
7 videos2 readings3 assignments3 app items8 plugins
In this module, you will identify basic encryption techniques and their applications while recognizing the distinctions among full-disk, partition, file, and volume encryption. You will describe the role of transport encryption and define the principles of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), including the roles of Certificate Authorities (CAs) and various trust models. Additionally, you will explore the features of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), Hardware Security Module (HSM), and Secure Enclave for data protection, as well as obfuscation techniques such as steganography, tokenization, and data masking
What's included
7 videos1 reading4 assignments2 app items5 plugins
In this module, you will identify the fundamentals of hashing algorithms, including MD5 and SHA, and apply hashing techniques using OpenSSL to generate secure hashes. You will explain the purpose and importance of digital signatures for data integrity, utilizing OpenSSL to create and verify these signatures. Additionally, you will describe the basics of blockchain technology and its various applications, recognize the role and structure of digital certificates in cybersecurity, and explain the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) for verifying certificate validity. Finally, you will differentiate between self-signed and third-party certificates in certificate management.
What's included
7 videos1 reading3 assignments3 app items7 plugins
In this module, you will apply the knowledge gained in the course in a final project. You will get to apply the different techniques you have learnt throughout the course in a simulated scenario. The module also wraps up the course learning and highlights key takeaways and next steps.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 peer review1 app item2 plugins
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Frequently asked questions
In this course, you'll learn the fundamentals of encryption, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms, hashing techniques, digital signatures, and the role of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). You’ll also explore blockchain technology, cryptographic attacks, and methods for securing data in various real-world applications.
As this is an intermediate-level course, basic knowledge of cybersecurity, including cybersecurity architecture, is essential.
You’ll gain hands-on experience with tools like OpenSSL to generate hashes and digital signatures, as well as apply encryption algorithms in practical scenarios. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to implement cryptographic solutions to secure data, protect communication, and evaluate cryptographic methods.