Glossary
Encryption: making data readable only to its recipient
Encryption transforms data into a form only the intended key can restore. It protects information in transit across a network and at rest on a storage medium. The operational difficulty lies in key management more than in the algorithms.
Protecting the data itself
Encryption applies a reversible transformation to data, governed by a key. Two families coexist: symmetric cryptography, fast, using the same key on both sides, and asymmetric cryptography, pairing a public and a private key to establish trust between parties. The operational difficulty lies in key management far more than in the algorithms.
- Symmetric cryptography uses the same key on both sides
- Asymmetric cryptography pairs a public and a private key
- Key management carries most of the operational difficulty
Two families, two uses
The Cybersecurity programme has candidates implement end-to-end encryption of an exchange, then audit an existing configuration. The Networks and Cloud Computing programme covers it from the operations side: certificates, automatic renewal, secret storage and key rotation.
| Situation | What encryption protects |
|---|---|
| Data in transit across a network | The exchange between workstation and server, leg by leg |
| Data at rest on a medium | The contents of a disk, a backup or a mobile device |
| Application secret | The access keys and passwords programs use |
| Proof of origin | The assurance that a message comes from whoever signs it |
Programmes that implement it
2 catalogue programmes put “Encryption” to work: 240 credits and 2400 taught hours in total. The official rule holds throughout — one credit stands for 25 hours of work, 10 of them taught. Every line below is recomputed from the programme page: level, duration, credits, taught volume and fees in Guinean francs appear exactly as filed in the official catalogue.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Volume | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity programme — Bac+5 level | Master's degree | 2 years | 120 credits · 1200 taught hours | 7 500 000 GNF per year |
| Networks and Cloud | Bachelor's degree | 2 years | 120 credits · 1200 taught hours | 5 600 000 GNF per year |
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