Applied Cryptography & PKI — Study Course

The official preparation course for the Applied Cryptography & PKI certification: structured modules, worked examples and exam-focused practice.

Key facts

• Course price: $91 (one-time payment)
• Field: Cybersecurity & Information Security
• Prepares for: Applied Cryptography & PKI
• 7 modules · 20 lessons · about 5 hours of lessons
• Self-paced, online, illustrated lessons

Course outline

1. Cryptography Foundations — Establish the mathematical and conceptual bedrock of modern cryptography before touching any algorithm or protocol.
   • Why Cryptography Exists: Threat Model and Goals
   • Entropy, Randomness, and Cryptographic Keys
   • Classical Cryptography and Why It Failed
2. Symmetric Cryptography — Master how symmetric encryption works, when to use each mode, and how authenticated encryption prevents the most dangerous practical attacks.
   • AES: The Standard Symmetric Cipher
   • Block Cipher Modes of Operation
   • Hash Functions and Message Authentication Codes
3. Asymmetric Cryptography — Understand the mathematics and practical application of public-key cryptography, including RSA, elliptic curves, and key exchange.
   • Public-Key Cryptography Principles
   • RSA: Operations, Padding, and Pitfalls
   • Elliptic Curve Cryptography and Key Exchange
4. TLS and Secure Transport — Understand how TLS 1.3 works, what each handshake step accomplishes, and how to configure and test secure transport in practice.
   • TLS 1.3: The Handshake and Key Derivation
   • Certificate Validation and Common TLS Attacks
5. Digital Signatures and Certificates — Learn how digital signatures bind identity to data, how X.509 certificates encode public keys and attributes, and how certificate chains are built and verified.
   • Digital Signatures: Mechanics and Applications
   • X.509 Certificates: Structure and Fields
   • Certificate Revocation: CRL and OCSP
6. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) — Design, operate, and trust a complete PKI hierarchy, covering root CAs, intermediate CAs, issuance policies, key management, and trust stores.
   • PKI Architecture: Root, Intermediate, and Issuing CAs
   • Key Management: Generation, Storage, Escrow, and Rotation
   • Certificate Policies, CPS, and Trust Stores
7. Exam Readiness: Concepts Recap and Strategy — Consolidate all course concepts, review the exam structure, and develop a practical study and test-taking strategy.
   • Key Concepts Recap: Cryptography and PKI
   • Exam Structure and Test-Taking Strategy
   • Practice Questions and Answer Rationales