RaspberryPiFoundation: Teach teens computing: Encryption and cryptography

Over the following two weeks, you will:

• Describe the general process of encryption and decryption
• Apply a Caesar cipher and a Vigenère cipher
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different encryption algorithms
• Compare symmetric and asymmetric encryption
• Demonstrate methods of breaking simple encryption schemes
• Describe how encryption is used in the modern world, and some of the possible ethical implications of this

The course will cover:

• A brief look at the history of encryption
• The encryption and decryption process, and the importance of keys
• The Caesar and Vigenère ciphers
• Symmetric and asymmetric encryption schemes
• Public-key encryption in the real world
• An introduction to quantum cryptography
• Practical encryption activities

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for teachers delivering lessons at a GCSE level or equivalent, and for anyone interested in learning about how encryption is used to communicate securely.