This course offers an accessible, conversational introduction to the world of cryptography — from ancient ciphers to the public key infrastructure that secures the modern internet. Organized across four modules — Classical Ciphers, Binary & Hashing, Asymmetric Cryptography, and Certificates & PKI — the course builds a complete picture of how cryptographic systems work and why they matter.

Conversations in Cryptography
Ends soon! Keep adding new skills with 10,000+ programs for $239 (usually $399). Save now.
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
Recommended experience
4 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
How classical ciphers like Caesar and Vigenère work, and how those concepts evolved into binary XOR operations that underpin modern encryption
How digital certificates and public key infrastructure (PKI) bind identities to public keys, enabling trusted communication across the internet
How hashing produces fingerprints for data verification, and how asymmetric key pairs solve the key exchange problem in symmetric encryption
Details to know

Shareable certificate
Add to your LinkedIn profile
Recently updated!
June 2026
Assessments
5 assignments
Taught in English
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

There are 5 modules in this course
Instructor

Offered by
Explore more from Security

University of Leeds

Stanford University

Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani

Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."





