INQ-110 | Cryptography: Secrets and Security

Full Title: Cryptography

Topic Description:

Every day vast amounts of private information such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, medical records, company financial reports, and confidential emails are sent over networks from one computer to another and stored in vast databases. How secure are these transactions and databases? Cryptography, often called the science of secret writing, has been used for thousands of years to keep communications and information secure and is one of the primary technologies in use today. This course will examine the history, mathematics, and modern day applications of cryptography. We will address the role of cryptography, its limitations, and some of the political, social, and ethical considerations that come into play as we strive to ensure security and privacy in our electronic age.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: February 2009