Cybersecurity Fundamentals: Understanding the Evolution of Cryptology

This course covers the history of cryptography-the use of ciphers and codes to protect secrets-and cryptanalysis-the breaking of those secrets-from ancient to modern times and beyond. For instance, learn how Mary Queen of Scots lost her head due to a broken secret, the significance of the Enigma during World War II, and the impact quantum computing may have in the future. At the heart of cybersecurity, fundamental terminology and how encryption/decryption methods work, such as pseudo-randomness, block/stream ciphers, private-key (DES/AES), public-key (RSA/ECC), hashing (MD5), digital signatures (DSA), algorithmic number theory, political aspects, and quantum computing/communications will be explored. Intriguing lectures, hands-on exercises, and a final debate/discussion will offer a deeper glimpse into what happens "under the hood" when securely surfing the Web and sending e-mail messages.