Encryption ensures secure data transfer. More specifically for the Internet and web traffic, HTTPS uses the TLS protocol between a web browser and a web server. IoT devices, too! In this Free Extended Upskill Challenge (UCx), Matt Ehrnschwender, the author of both mini-workshops from last year, is back with a brand new, hands-on lab to learn how to quickly decrypt supposedly secure IoT communications! Students will set up the infrastructure to intercept network traffic from a simulated OpenWRT device and use the mitmproxy tool suite to decrypt TLS encrypted traffic originating from the device.
Just Hacking Training (JHT) is proud to continue sponsoring the IoT Village for the entirety of 2026! Last year’s 2 UCxs were only available in-person until after DEF CON, then we released them to the rest of the world. This year… our 2 new challenges are available all year both in the Village and here on JHT! Try them all:
- UCx – QEMU: Emulate Your “Things” (2026)
- UCx – Encryption! What Encryption? (2026)
- UCx – MQTT: Talk to Your “Things” (2025)
- UCx – Router Ruh Roh (2025)
Price = $0 – $5
This is a “Name Your Price” course. Your options include:
- Minimum Price = $0
- Suggested Price = $5
- Pay more to support our community efforts
What’s an Upskill Challenge (UC)?
A Free Upskill Challenge is a bite-sized lesson from the JHT Team, our courseware developers as well as “friends” of JHT. They are meant to be short and to the point. UCs focus on a single tool or concept and are helpful in quickly providing useful skills that might be prerequisites for other types of educational content on the platform.
A UC is only 10 – 30 minutes of student time and have no VMs. There are quizzes at the end to make sure that the content is understood.
What’s an Extended Upskill Challenge (UCx)?
To accommodate more detailed topics and virtual environments, JHT has released a new product, the Extended UC (or UCx). A UCx can be 30 – 120 minutes of student time and includes VMs. A UCx is a NameYourPrice item with $0 as the lowest accepted cost. That’s right… FREE! Virtual labs do have a cost, so anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.
What do I get with “UCx – Encryption! What Encryption?”?
Students get their own virtual environment to get hands-on experience with the tools and techniques taught in the course. It is also web-based, so you need nothing else other than a computer and Internet access.
Prerequisites for “UCx – Encryption! What Encryption?”
UCs and UCxs assume no knowledge at all! They’re meant to be completely self-contained, so all of the answers are in the lesson. No outside research is required.
