In this unit, you will learn techniques for securing information and communications against adversaries, in particular with regards to confidentiality, integrity and authentication. Informed by the history of cryptography, you will learn the cryptographic primitives that are used to secure information today such as symmetric key encryption, message authentication codes, public key cryptography and digital signatures. You will also study future issues in cryptography, including the challenges raised by quantum computing. While you will learn and use basic mathematics, this unit will focus on cryptographic concepts relevant to cyber security specialists, rather than the mathematical underpinnings of the algorithms. This practical treatment of cryptography will be highlighted in laboratory tasks, where you will use software to attack and secure information in various realistic scenarios.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Student evaluations

Tests are stressful due to level of difficulty, high stakes, and variety of topics covered in short time.

Reduce the weight of the tests in the unit, adding more focus on the practical activities in the project and journal.

Feedback from Student evaluations

The quality of the learning materials was appreciated, however the time needed to study the content covered is high.

Continue with the diverse set of learning materials, but incorporate more guidance on depth of understanding needed of each topic, e.g. via more quiz questions for self-assessment.

Feedback from Unit Coordinator reflection

Active use of GitHub and Teams for group work usually leads to higher quality project outcomes.

Demonstrate the benefits of GitHub and Teams for teamwork early in the term and allocate more marks to their use for the project.