The Basics of Cryptographic Systems

Catalog description

This course will cover cryptographic concepts such as data privacy, encryption, authentication, digital signatures, differential privacy, privacy-enhancing technologies, secure computation, and electronic money. The emphasis will be on how to use cryptographic systems correctly in a larger context, rather than on the mathematical details of how they work; although we will cover some of those details too, on a high level. This course will be aimed at practicing and aspiring poets, economists, software engineers, law and policy wonks, and business tycoons. No prerequisites.