Just checking in…
As mentioned in my very first post, I am currently enrolled in WGU’s Cybersecurity and information assurance degree program. I had finished my last course of the previous term the beginning of December 2020, so I had a while to wait before my next course/term started…
I used that time to read two amazing books (The Pentester Blueprint by Phillip Wylie and Kim Crawley, and Tribe of Hackers by Marcus Carey and Jennifer Jin), start my journey on the TryHackMe website, and of course spend a bit of time with the family and enjoy the holidays.
Now that the holidays are behind us, and a new term has started at WGU, I am back at the grind of academic enlightenment, and long nights of studying.
The first course I am taking is “Introduction to cryptography”. I have had a little exposure to cryptography through my previous studies. I got some exposure while earning the CompTIA A+, Network +, and the Security +, but this is the first class I have taken that is 100% focused on cryptography.
I started the course 01/04/2021. I always start any of the WGU courses by taking the pre assessment first. I like to do it this way, because not only does it give you a feel for what will be covered in the class, and what they determine is important to study for the exam, but it also shows me where my own knowledge is lacking. This information provides me with a strong tool/guide, on what I need to study and what I can get away with not focusing on quite so much.
This pre assessment went about how I expected it to. I was competent in about half the material, but lacking in the other half. Armed with this knowledge, I started studying the material. This course starts off with an introduction and history of cryptography, then moves into symmetric cryptography and hashes, number theory and asymmetric cryptography, the applications of cryptography, then concludes with cryptanalysis.
So far I am enjoying the material, and it is all making sense. Hopefully this class will go smoothly, and I will pass the objective assessment on the first try!
