This course provides a gentle introduction to cryptography with Python. No experience required! With videos, text content and interactive Jupyter Notebooks, Ellie will educate in a manner that reaches all students and take you from knowing nothing to writing your own code in no time!
Price = $50
Introduction to Cryptography by the Author
You know what it’s like being in the security industry when someone asks you what you do. Now imagine the responses when I tell people I work in cryptography. And it’s not just outsiders. Even within the technical crowd, common responses range from “Ooof, that sounds complicated” to “I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot stick”. I usually laugh and assure people that, although it can be complex, the complexity is surmountable. I would love nothing more than for my words to be met with intrigue rather than hesitation. So, I’m here to prove to you that crypto is tackle-able, and you can be the one to tackle it.
Cryptography is no longer a convenient addition. It is a necessity for security and privacy. Products without encrypted storage and transit are off-the-table for organizational user. Consumers are also adept at asking questions about how their data is protected. So, if you must learn it eventually, why not start now and why not learn the easy way. I firmly believe that the common feeling of intimidation around cryptography is because it is in an unfamiliar context. If the concepts can be broken down into bite-sized pieces, then our brains can more easily consume them.
One of my favorite subreddits is called “Explain Like I’m Five” (ELIF). The subreddit isn’t intended to be condescending but rather offers a place for people to say, “I don’t get this, but I want to. Can you break it down so I can make sense of it?” I think this strategy works because when things are broken down simply, we naturally draw parallels to concepts we already know. That helps us to soak in the new knowledge rather than just letting the information go in one ear and out the other. It gives us the ability to actually process it. So, if cryptography is something that seems unapproachable when left as a complex, out-of-context blob, let’s be inspired by ELIF and break it down into digestible chunks!
What do I get?
Ellie does a masterful job of intermixing numerous videos with extensive text content. Then you can practice integrating crypto into your Python code right in the web-based course with Jupyter Notebooks. Because everything is integrated within the lessons, there’s no need to buy lab time. Take as much time as you need!
Prerequisites
Although this course assumes no prior knowledge of cryptography or Python, being comfortable with programming concepts is a plus.
Because everything is provided for you, you need nothing other than a computer, Internet access and your brain!