Important Update: Our moderated courses are now offered as self-paced experiences. Learn on your own schedule and at your own pace.

Learning > Encryption

Encryption

What is the Encryption course?

This course is an introduction to encryption, and is intended to serve both as an overview and as a level set and foundation. Encryption is a key element in protecting us and our information as we go about our daily lives and as we interact with others online. It ensures our information and our communications remain confidential, protected, and available only to those for whom we intend.

What are the course objectives?

Describe encryption concepts at a high level, and the benefits encryption offers to us individually and as a society.
Find out why it is important, and the ways in which we rely upon strong encryption in our daily lives.
Understand how and why efforts to weaken encryption pose a serious threat.
Learn about various “backdoor access” proposals and why they are problematic.
Learn about the Internet Society’s goals and activities related to supporting strong encryption and defending against threats to it.
Discover what actions you can take to advocate for strong encryption in your community and beyond.

Who should attend this course?

This course does not have prerequisites.

You should attend this course if:

You would like to have a solid understanding of how encryption relates to you as an Internet user and what threats it may face from governments, industry, and criminals.
You would like to be able to advocate for strong encryption.
You would like to become an encryption supporter and activate a Chapter.
You want to build awareness of the importance and benefits of encryption.
You want to help shape the encryption process to protect data on the Internet.
You would like to learn why encryption is fundamental for a secure, trusted and more resilient Internet.

How do I enroll in a course?

How do I access the learning platform as an Internet Society member?

As an Internet Society member, you can log into learning.internetsociety.org with your member login credentials. There is no need to create a new account. If you do not remember your login information, select Forgot Login? to be emailed your username and receive a link to reset your password. Once logged in, you will be able to view the course catalog and select the course you’d like to enroll in.

How do I access the learning platform as a non-member?

Both guests and Internet Society members can access the learning platform. To register as either, click Register on the login box at learning.internetsociety.org. Next, either register as a member or click on the guest registration form to register as a guest. Once you create an account, you can use the credentials you created (username and password) to log into learning.internetsociety.org. Once logged in, you will be able to view the course catalog and enroll in courses.

How do I enroll in a course?

Browse available courses in the course catalog or use the search bar to find the course you would like to enroll in. On each course page, click the “Enroll” button in the top right corner of the page to immediately be added to a course. Once you have successfully been enrolled, you will be able to see the course under “My Courses and Learning Plans”. You will also be able to see information about the course instructor, view the course’s forums, and access any modules that are available. If the course has not yet started, you will not see any modules until the day the course begins.

How do I join the waitlist for a course?

If you are on a course page and the button in the top right corner of the page reads “Enroll (Waiting List)”, this means the course has reached the maximum number of participants able to enroll. You can click the button to join the waitlist for the course and you will be notified if a spot becomes available.

How do I select the right course format?

When browsing the course catalog, you will see multiple versions of the same course available. All courses are available in English, French, and Spanish so first select the right language for you. You can do this by selecting the language of your choice in the left-hand filter in the course catalog or choosing the course that denotes the correct language (EN=English, FR=French, ES=Spanish).

You also have the option to choose the format that will work best for your connection type. All courses have 3 format options: high bandwidth, low bandwidth, and text-based for all connections. You can filter by bandwidth option in the left-hand filter on the course catalog or select the “Additional Information” tab when viewing a course to see which bandwidth connection you have selected.

If you have any questions about which version is best for you, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] to get assistance.

Enroll for the June Course

When do I start?

This course is now offered in a self-paced format. Learn at your convenience and dive into the material whenever it suits you. Looking for more learning opportunities? Explore our full range of self-paced courses.

Enroll Now

Self-paced course

Duration:
4 weeks

Available in
English, French and Spanish

Enroll Now