[an error occurred while processing this directive]
<meta NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="index,follow">
<meta NAME="keywords" CONTENT=" course, cryptography, theoretical, applications, security, cryptographic, experience, authentication, blockchain, number, openssl, library, quantum, protocols, understanding, algorithms, secure, trends, certificates, students, practical, symmetric, concepts, overview, ciphers, gain, encryption, public, world, apply, real, digital, requirements, such, theory, confidentiality, comprehensive, underpinnings, information, confidential, introduction, fundamental, communication, techniques, challenges, objectives, completion, understand, currencies, technologies, frequency, conceptual, scheduled, randomness, complexity, solutions, scenarios, asymmetric, generation, computing, signatures, designed, homomorphic, securing, different, focusing, normally, expected, decryption, functions, evaluate, advanced, contents, designing, applied, provide, systems, address, exchange, history, attacks, examples, creating, entropy, emerging, beyond, message, master, design, hellman, crypto, project, private, threat, models, profit, gentle, explore, random, dates, diffie">
<meta name="DESCRIPTION" content="Applied Cryptography course The Applied Cryptography course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of cryptographic techniques and their practical applications in securing information systems The course goes beyond theoretical concepts, focusing on the practical understanding of cryptographic algorithms and protocols to address real world security challenges Frequency This course normally runs twice a year ">


<meta name="Edited" content="Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:45:02 GMT">
<meta name="Published" content="Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:45:05 GMT">

<title>Software Engineering at Oxford | Applied Cryptography ( APC )</title>

<!-- icon -->
<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/ico" href="../favicon.ico">

<script src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">_uacct = "UA-1306673-1";urchinTracker();/*UA-579489-1*/</script>
<META name="verify-v1" content="CwYQSB0rDIbG5v7tQy+2xKxvNEoOxCNSFYYF7mSW7bo=" />
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

<div id="breadcrumb">
   
   <ul class="mainnav">
      <li>
         <a href="/">Computer Science</a></li><li><a href="/softeng/">Software Engineering</a>
      </li>
      <li>
         <a href="/softeng/courses/">Courses</a>
      </li>
      <li>
         <a href="/softeng/courses/subjects.html">Subjects</a>
      </li>
      <li>
         <span class="youarehere">Applied Cryptography ( APC )</span>
      </li>
   </ul>
</div>


<!--
<span id="headerItem">
  <a href="../programme/contact.html" title="Contacts">Contact</a> | 
  <a href="../search/search.jsp" title="Search">Search</a> |
  <a href="../sitemap.html" title="Sitemap">Site map</a> | 
  <a href="https://www.softeng.ox.ac.uk/signin/" title="Sign in">Sign
  in</a>
</span>
-->

<div id="content">

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td style="width: 75px"><div style="width: 75px;height: 75px"><div style="width: 55px;height: 55px; margin: 10px;-moz-box-shadow: 0px 5px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3), -2px 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3), 2px 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3); -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 5px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3), -2px 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3), 2px 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3); box-shadow: 0px 5px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3), -2px 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3), 2px 1px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);-moz-border-radius: 8px;-webkit-border-radius: 8px; border-radius: 8px;" id="APCBg"><div style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align:center; position: relative; top: 20px; background-color: transparent; color: white">APC</div></div></div></td><td style="vertical-align:middle"><h1>Applied Cryptography</h1></td></tr></table>
      <div>
	
	<p><p>The Applied Cryptography course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of cryptographic techniques and their practical applications in securing information systems. The course goes beyond theoretical concepts, focusing on the practical understanding of cryptographic algorithms and protocols to address real-world security challenges.</p>
<h4>Frequency</h4>
<p>This course normally runs twice a year.</p></p>
<h4>Course dates</h4>
<center>
Future courses are expected, but yet to be scheduled.<br>
</center>
<h4>Objectives</h4>
<p><p>Upon completion, students will:</p>
<ul>
<li>Master fundamental cryptographic concepts and apply cryptographic algorithms.</li>
<li>Design and evaluate basic secure cryptographic protocols for authentication and confidentiality</li>
<li>Gain practical experience in using cryptographic solutions</li>
<li>Apply cryptography in real-world scenarios using OpenSSL cryptographic library</li>
<li>Understand the trends in terms of quantum crypto, confidential computing, and advanced applications such as blockchain and digital currencies</li>
</ul></p>
<h4>Contents</h4>
<p><p>Introduction: History of cryptography and ciphers; real-world attacks; different uses of cryptography today, threat models, cryptography for fun and profit</p>
<p>Gentle overview of the theoretical underpinnings: Conceptual understanding of randomness and random numbers, entropy, complexity theory, and a bit of number theory</p>
<p>Symmetric Cryptography: Understanding symmetric key algorithms, hash functions, message authentication codes; overview of real world symmetric ciphers such as DES and AES</p>
<p>Asymmetric Cryptography: Understanding public key algorithms, key generation, digital signatures and digital certificates; overview of real-world cryptographic algorithms such as RSA, Diffie-Hellman</p>
<p>Cryptographic Protocols: Designing secure communication protocols, key exchange, authentication protocols. Overview of SSL/TLS and other practical examples.</p>
<p>Hands-On Project: Gain practical experience by creating public-private keys, encryption/decryption, digital certificates by using OpenSSL cryptographic library</p>
<p>Emerging Trends and Technologies: Explore post-quantum cryptography, blockchain security, and homomorphic encryption.</p></p>
<h4>Requirements</h4>
<p><p>There are no requirements for this course.</p></p>

	
      </div>

<br>

    
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

<!--  mainnav div starts -->
<div id="nav">     
 <h2 id="mainsections">Main sections</h2>
 
 <h2 id="inthissection">Programme</h2>
 <ul class="mainnav" >
  <li>
   <a href="../" title="Return to the Home page" class="menu" >Home</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../programme/index.html" title="About the programme" class="menu">About</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../programme/history.html" title="The history of the Programme"  class="menu">History</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../programme/people.html" title="The people involved" class="menu">People</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk" title="Department of Computer Science" class="menu">Department</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../programme/contact.html" title="Getting in touch" class="menu">Contact us</a>
  </li>
  </ul>
  
  
  <h2 id="inthissection">Courses</h2>
  <ul class="mainnav">
  <li>
   <a href="../courses/" title="About the courses" class="menu">About</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../courses/subjects.html" title="Subjects offered" class="currentsection">Subjects</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../courses/calendar.html" title="Course dates" class="menu">Calendar</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../courses/booking.html" title="How to book a place on a course" class="menu">Booking</a>
  </li>
  </ul>
  
  
  <h2 id="inthissection">Study</h2>
  <ul class="mainnav">
  <li>
   <a href="../study/" title="Flexible, postgraduate study" class="menu">About</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../study/awards.html" title="Academic awards" class="menu">Awards</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../study/fees.html" title="University fees" class="menu">Fees</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../study/apply.html" title="How to apply" class="menu">Applications</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../study/collegiate.html" title="Collegiate University" class="menu">Colleges</a>
  </li>
  </ul>
  
  
  <h2 id="inthissection">Resources</h2>
  <ul class="mainnav">
  <li>
   <a href="../handbook/" title="Handbook" class="menu">Handbook</a>
  </li>
  <li>
   <a href="../brochures/" title="Brochures" class="menu">Brochures</a>
  </li>
 </ul>



[an error occurred while processing this directive]