Course Overview

This intensive, project-driven course blends concise theoretical explanations with lab-based assignments. You will learn symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, secure hashing, message authentication, digital signatures, public-key infrastructure basics, and practical secure coding techniques. Each module includes guided coding exercises using Python libraries such as PyCA Cryptography and built-in modules, plus real-world projects that culminate in a capstone assignment.

Who Should Take This Course

• Software developers who need to integrate secure encryption into applications.
• Security engineers and penetration testers who want hands-on cryptographic skills.
• Computer science students or hobbyists interested in applied cryptography.
• DevOps and cloud engineers responsible for key management and data protection.

What You’ll Learn (Learning Outcomes)

• Implement AES, ChaCha20, and authenticated encryption (AEAD) in Python.
• Create and verify HMACs and understand secure hashing practices (SHA-2, SHA-3).
• Generate RSA and ECC key pairs, implement digital signatures, and verify certificates.
• Build secure key storage approaches and interact with hardware-backed key stores (overview).
• Design secure messaging flows, protect secrets at rest and in transit, and avoid common crypto pitfalls.

Course Modules & Detailed Syllabus

1. Introduction to Applied Cryptography — threat models, primitives, and secure design principles.
2. Symmetric Cryptography — block vs stream ciphers, modes (GCM, CBC), proper IV/nonce use, and padding.
3. Authenticated Encryption & MACs — HMAC, AEAD patterns, and misuse-resistance.
4. Asymmetric Cryptography — RSA, ECC, key generation, digital signatures, and hybrid encryption.
5. Key Management & PKI Basics — key lifecycle, secure storage, certificates, and trust chains.
6. Secure Coding with Cryptography — common anti-patterns, timing attacks, and secure randomness.
7. Capstone Project — design and implement a secure messaging or file-encryption tool using Python.

Hands-on Projects & Labs

Each module contains 2–4 labs. Example projects include:

• Encrypted file vault with password-derived keys and secure metadata handling.
• Signed message exchange using ECC and verifying authenticity.
• Simple certificate-based TLS-like handshake simulator (educational).

Prerequisites

Basic Python programming (functions, file I/O, virtual environments). Familiarity with HTTP and basic networking is helpful but not required. No prior cryptography background necessary—the course covers fundamentals before moving to implementation.

Assessment & Certification

Assessment includes graded labs, quizzes for each module, and a capstone project. On successful completion you will receive a course completion certificate and code samples from the labs to include in your portfolio.

Resources & Further Reading

Explore These Valuable Resources.

• PyCA Cryptography — Documentation & Guides
• Python Official: hashlib — Secure Hash and Message Digest Library
• OWASP — Security Practices & Common Vulnerabilities

Explore Related Courses

Explore Related Courses:

• Cryptography
• Python
• Cybersecurity
• Encryption
• Applied-Crypto

Instructor & Support

Taught by industry professionals with hands-on experience in secure development and cryptographic systems. Students receive a downloadable lab guide, code templates, and access to a discussion forum for troubleshooting and peer review.

Call to Action

Ready to build secure systems with confidence? Enroll now and start coding real cryptographic solutions with Python. Practical labs, real-world projects, and a certificate to showcase your skills await.