U. Washington Crypto Course Now Online for Free 173
Alien54 writes "Who wants to pay for Stanford's Crypto Course, when University of Washington has made the whole Cryptography Course available online for free. Yes, all the presentations, videos (mp3, WMV), homework, quizzes etc. are available online. The material seems pretty decent, and is intended for an advanced audience." Found on linkfilter.
Study cryptography! (Score:3, Insightful)
Radicode
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
So what? All the same principles apply. Saying "study cryptography" is good, but it's really more useful to study information theory and security in general. A little broader thinking on the matter will let you apply the knowledge to cryptography as well as security of, well, anything. Just read all about Claude Shannon for a fun time.
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:4, Interesting)
If you are too small to afford a security specialist who can code, look outside the organization. Letting regular developers do security is an incredibly risky business decision.
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Maybe that should read
A security programmer who did not build his own crypto is like a jedi who did not build his own lightsaber.
Doesn't make so much sense now (or does it?)
More programmers could do well do learn crypto -- at least where to get the tools and algorithms, and how to apply them. I'm no math whiz so I'd be reticent to devise my own S-boxes from scratch. But it's still a worthy exercise to study
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Huh? As opposed to using well-known implementations? How is this more secure?
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
If you actually studied it, you would be surprised to realise how many programs have a secure sign-on mechanism, using well-known implementations, but have other flaws that allow it to be completely circumvented (such as guessing session cookies).
And the people who use hashing to store passwords, but don't salt the hashes...
And the people who use public key implementation, but completely mis-design the PKI...
There is so much th
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
I'm not opposed to using well-known implementations. Where did you get that idea?
Probably from your sig:
Ok, so I totally misinterpreted what you were saying. I thought you were saying that a every company should hire people to build their own implementations, but I think what you're saying is that *when* they make their own implementations, only security experts should be allowed to do it (or, they
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
I think Lord Ender is saying something slightly stronger than that... The way I read it, his point is that even when a company is using the well-known implementations of the algorithms, they should hav
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
So how should it be done, assuming the user wants passwords to be remembered? No matter how you store it, it's no more secure than base64 encoding since you'll have to be able to open it anyway. Unless you're talking about something completely different.
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2, Informative)
and when it receives the password from the "client" (if it is a real client-server-over-network scenario then obviously you should transfer the password safely, uing SSH for example) it calculates its hash and compares it with the stored hash. If it's a match - bingo.
Because it is much more problematic to get the password from its calculated hash, it is safer to store the hash and not the password.
In its most basic form you can still attack
Re:Study cryptography! (Score:2)
Also worth visiting... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:1)
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:2)
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:2)
Those lectures are from 1986! The course content has changed a fair amount since then, although mostly it's a matter of the order in which they are taught.
Anyway, in recent terms, we've opted for the lower-bandwidth option (not that we usually worry about bandwidth here) of lecture slides with accompanying audio clips. This also means that lecture attendance has dropped severely.
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:2)
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:2)
Re:Also worth visiting... (Score:2)
The Zatanna School of Cryptography: Thanks, Taco! (Score:4, Interesting)
Sometimes, it's all just so perfect.
Thanks again.
Re:The Zatanna School of Cryptography: Thanks, Tac (Score:2)
Encrypted (Score:2)
It's visible in Europe too! (Score:5, Funny)
Or perhaps they are using the website to collect IP addresses of potential terrorists?
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:1)
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:2)
Better to sell locks to which you already posess the key.
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:2)
Hell I'll teach you the Vernam cipher right now! For each message create a totally random string of letters as long as the message to serve as a key. Convert the letters in the key and the message to binary numbers, XOR them together, and convert them back to letters. Make sure
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:2)
For unbreakability, if used properly, yes, a one time pad is effective. In reality though, this relies on the repeated exchange of a codebook, and in that case the frequent need for physical exchange between the parties produces more risk and opportunity for exploit/discovery than it's worth.
Any attempt to generate the pads without physical exchange via a formula etc just
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:2)
The cipher was invented by Gilbert Vernam, and I like using the term because it describes the general cipher instead of the one-time pad, which really is a much more restricted application of it. Also, I beliece that's the term David Kahn used most often in The Codebreakers, and who am I to argue with David Kahn :P. As a plus, it sou
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:2)
Re:It's visible in Europe too! (Score:2)
I doubt it. That requires too many people to know the secret. If you've broken Popularly Used Cipher X but not Popularly Used Cipher Y, you keep the fact deadly secret. You want people to keep using the broken code, rather than switch to the unbroken code.
Now, if you try to ban people teaching Y because you can't break it, then you have to let every
Uh. so what? (Score:1)
So? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:So? (Score:2)
Re:Dead URLs, all of 'em (Score:2)
Let's take it together (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyone want to join me in taking the course as a group? We could "meet" in IRC or via a listserv. and we'd probably get more out of the course by having others to bounce ideas off of, to challenge our assumptions, and to correct our errors.
If you're interested in joining me in this, reply to this post, and I'll see about organizing things in my Slashdot Journal.
Moi! (Score:2)
Not crypto. (Score:2)
I'd also be interested in hanging out around a class on crypto, or on introductory programming. I haven't finished college (and probably won't), but it's been a hit-and-miss whether I'm a better teacher than my professors.
Re:Let's take it together (Score:2)
Re:Let's take it together (Score:2)
Re:Let's take it together (Score:2)
It would probably be better to keep in touch via a Listserv of sorts, since time zone differences may prevent the group from coming online at the same time. Yahoo! Groups comes to mind as one possible simple way to do it, with discussions archived for people who come late to the group. IRC/IM can be used to supplement discussions.
I'll check your journal.
Since the course is about cryptog
Re:Let's take it together (Score:2)
Re:Let's take it together (Score:2)
What Crypto Course? (Score:3, Informative)
Some math questions involving a MOD and the final homework... How much bandwidth is VeiSign using.
Where is the questions about breaking the code?
Re:What Crypto Course? (Score:2)
Re:What Crypto Course? (Score:2)
Re:What Crypto Course? (Score:2)
Re:What Crypto Course? (Score:2)
103885710475-109865-946598 (Score:1)
MOD PARENT UP (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Free as in what? (Score:2)
Re:Free as in what? (Score:2)
Hey now. I realize that the Pirate Bay is down, but that doesn't mean you need to post your Swede-talk here...
Re:Free as in what? (Score:2)
Heh. I read that without actually running rot13! I must be an uber-cryptanalyst!
Winter '02 course is also available on-line (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Winter '02 course is also available on-line (Score:1)
would it be possible to have the HTML material presented in HTML?
KFG
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Not again! (Score:2)
But yes, Walter Lewin's lectures were fantastic. It's a shame that he doesn't do freshman physics anymore, with the advent of the s/learning/technology/g [mit.edu] program (a.k.a. TEAL). I think the move to make his old 8.01 lectures available was in part to provide a good resource to those students who don't like TEAL and who don't learn well in that environment.
Independant Cryptography Learning (Score:2, Informative)
T
Re:Independant Cryptography Learning (Score:2)
Memo from U.Wash Dean to NSA (Score:5, Funny)
Our plan is working splendidly. Numerous people have given us their names, addresses, social security numbers, and personal information. This along with their expressed interest in encryption will keep the data miners happy. We will, as previously agreed, forward all correspondence from students of this class. Enclosed please find an Excel file of all information on the online course takers. I can't believe you were right, that potential enemies of the State would voluntarily sign up for something so obvious.
Yours truly
Tobias Fünke
Memo from Student to Osama (Score:2)
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
(In case you didn't get it, the point of this satire is that if the NSA truly believes in preventing people from studying encryption, then most of the crypto experts will be terrorists.)
Re:Memo from Student to Osama (Score:3, Insightful)
Related: Networks course at CMU (Score:5, Informative)
the CMU computer networks course [cmu.edu], which I put online almost entirely (lecture nodes, video, homeworks, and the programming projects). Click on "Syllabus" to get to the contentful-bits. Feedback is welcome: Srini and I hope that leaving it online will be useful for students and instructors everywhere.
Crypto course online for free (Score:3, Funny)
Oh right, I get it.
munitions status (Score:3, Insightful)
In the past, as I'm sure most here know, encryption software was considered to be munitions. I actually purchased the Zimmerman book that was just PGP in source code format at the UW bookstore. The idea at the time was how can you control a book? Now, I know that laws have changed, and the US has relaxed its stance on this. Most distributions of GNU/Linux have SSH included.
This is fresh in my mind because I recently created a specialized GNU/Linux distribution and debated about whether or not to include SSL and SSH. Although I knew the status of this software had changed, I could not find any definitive regulations regarding crypto software. Certainly the last four years don't make me any less paranoid about getting burned by making a mistake here. There is a good presentation that specifically talks about these issues here [washington.edu] in TFA. Yes, it does talk about how the munitions stance has relaxed, but I'm still not entirely sure that I don't have to notify some government agency that I'm including encryption if I distribute the root filesystem in binary form.
My understanding is... (Score:2)
djb's crypto pages (Score:2)
I wonder if he'll open them [cr.yp.to] up to the general public now.
Mihir Bellare's crypto courses at UCSD (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Mihir Bellare's crypto courses at UCSD (Score:2)
Cryptography Class Rule #1 (Score:2)
Don't trust the professor unless the PDFs available were obviously typeset in LaTeX.
Of course, I'm kidding. But here's some more crypto material [rutgers.edu] from one of my professors.
Stanford course ironic (Score:2)
I find it ironic that the Stanford course requires the use of IE on Windows, the least secure possible combination, as well as one that will exclude quite a few potential students.
All of our CS courses (Score:2)
check out
http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/course-webs
Most of them probably don't have a free text book though... but it's still cheaper than tuition. Generally lecture slides are there too. I don't know if they put these pages together with public consumption in mind though.
btw, speaking as a student, the UW is an excellent school for computer science.
Thanks (Score:4, Informative)
Why don't i just visit all the websites on the internet every day? Then i wouldnt have to bother with the inconvenience of browsing slashdot.
As for having the same writeup? The bottom of the text credits linkfilter
Re:Thanks (Score:2)
Re:Thanks (Score:3, Insightful)
I guess I'm just too radical...
Re:Thanks (Score:2)
http://www.google.com/search?q=slashdot%20site%3Ad igg.com&hl=en [google.com]
Compare it to the articles about Digg on Slashdot, and check the comments too:
http://www.google.com/search?q=digg%20site%3Aslash dot.org&hl=en [google.com]
Re:Thanks (Score:2)
interested in. Then you need to KNOW ABOUT the sites in question - I wouldn't have
heard of Digg if people weren't constantly bitching about it here
Re:Thanks (Score:2)
Next time just make sure you stick in a disclaimer making it blindlingly clear that you're having some fun rather than trolling!
Chill (Score:2)
laters friendly etc. etc.
Re:Thanks (Score:5, Funny)
More outsourcing! (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:More outsourcing! (Score:2, Insightful)
What's the net benefit to the US? Maybe $100K. So how do we keep the money in the US? Force everyone with a graduate degree from a US university to stay in the country? Then you get a pair of intelligent Indian people; one gets a doctorate in applied cryptography and teaches everything he learns to the other.
Now we require that everyone who talks with anyone wit
Re:American tax payers money wasted big time! (Score:3, Insightful)
And without it they couldn't just go to a library.
KFG
Re:American tax payers money wasted big time! (Score:5, Insightful)
How much are you paying the Sumerian guy (yes, and others) who invented writing? The Babylonian who invented the calendar? Hell, most of the early American industrial revolution depended on violating English patents on water-wheels and drive-shafts and various cogs and pulleys. That God there was no Berne Convention then, huh?
When you enjoy Bach's Musical Offering, do you send a buck to the descendants of Bach's patron, Frederick II of Prussia?
The truth is, every one of us -- even the most prolific and creative inventors -- benefit far more from our shared cultural patrimony than we contribute to it.
Most of Newton's genius would have been wasted if he'd had to spend his life chasing down gazelles to get his lunch. Little of that genius would have been transmitted to anyone without the efforts of the anonymous inventor of writing and thousands of others who refined that tool and so many other tools down through the ages.
Information, knowledge -- they are not, contrary to the more glib claims of the Open Source movement, free. Knowledge must be wrested from nature at great cost by discovers, and each of us to understand that knowledge must pay our own cost to learn it.
But the Open Source advocates aren't wrong either: knowledge can be transmitted at little marginal cost: developing the course did cost the tax- and tuition-payers of Washington State, but the additional cost to make it available to all is the negligible amount required to host it on a web server. Nor is it "free" to anyone -- anyone who wants to possess it must take the time and effort to learn it, to re-make his own mind by incorporating that new (to him) knowledge. There is no "royal road" to knowledge; commoner or king must wrestle it into his own head.
Don't be a Philistine: millions, alive and dead, your teachers and people entirely unknown to you have for fifty thousand years given you knowledge and indeed a rich material culture based on that knowledge. Don't begrudge passing it on.
Re:American tax payers money wasted big time! (Score:2)
In other words, knowledge should be free (uncontrolled). I agree that it's not free (doesn't cost anything).
what library? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Found on (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What about certifications? (Score:2, Informative)
KFG
Re:What about certifications? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:What about certifications? (Score:3, Insightful)
As others have said "hell No"!
oh alright - yeah, sometimes
Sometimes you need various accreditation to get/keep/progress in a job. this may be
Re:Another such course in Operating Systems... (Score:2)
HELL YES!!!!
I plan on downloading this as soon as I get back to work. This is ALMOST exactly what I need for some professional development.
Now - if you'd do a similar course on analysing network protocols using ethereal - something that would bring me from basic networking through to being able to take part in various honeypot challenges [honeynet.org] then I would be a happy happy man.
p.s. by "basic level" I mean someone who h
Re:the internet courseware picture is much better. (Score:2)