How to Learn Cryptography

Last Updated: August 23, 2022

"Cryptography" is defined as both the practice and study of the techniques used to communicate and/or store information or data privately and securely, without being intercepted by third parties. With the growing awareness of cyber security and cyber crimes, Cryptography is becoming popular subject. The following articles describes ways to start learning more about it.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Sign up for a free online course

1
Choose your resource. There are plenty of free resources out there, some of which are available on:^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/course/crypto
- Udacity: https://www.udacity.com/course/cs387
2
Be consistent. Like any new learning material, it takes time and effort to grasp the underlying concepts.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Read about Cryptography

1
Get standard books to learn about this subject. Look around the web, read some reviews and pick the book that you think most suits your needs.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/cryptography
2
Stick with it. Try not to miss out on stuff in between, incomplete knowledge can be worse than no knowledge.
3
Try practicing. Instead of just sticking to the theory, try to code something on your computer. You could use online tools like:
- CrypTool: http://www.cryptool.org/en/

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Other Resources

1
Find other resources. There are plenty of other websites that provide information about Cryptography. Some of these are:
- Learn Cryptography: http://learncryptography.com/
- The Geek Stuff: http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2012/07/cryptography-basics/
2
Ask around. Find people, in real life or the virtual world who have prior experience in computer and network security. Post questions/try to answer questions on online forums, this will help expand your knowledge base.
3
Be curious and have fun! That's what learning is all about.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I need a background in computer science to learn cryptography?

Community Answer

You don't need computer science to learn it, but you do need it for most modern practical uses of cryptography. Knowledge in math and logic might be needed to learn more advanced encryption techniques.