EECC study plan
EECC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Symmetric Key Encryption
Define block cipher modes (ECB, CBC, CTR, GCM) and state one concrete failure mode for each without notes
Compare AES-128, AES-192, and AES-256 by key schedule rounds, performance trade-offs, and selection criteria in regulated environments
Distinguish stream ciphers from block ciphers and explain when ChaCha20-Poly1305 is preferred over AES-GCM
Explain key distribution problems that motivate hybrid encryption and where symmetric keys appear in TLS 1.3
Your checkpoint
A one-page comparison table of five symmetric algorithms/modes listing key size, nonce/IV requirements, integrity support, and a known misuse case, self-quizzed to 90% recall
Asymmetric Key Encryption
Derive the RSA key generation steps and compute a small worked example by hand (p, q, n, phi, e, d)
Contrast RSA-OAEP, RSA-PKCS#1 v1.5, and RSA-KEM by padding purpose and known attack surface
Explain Diffie-Hellman and ECDH key agreement, including why ephemeral keys provide forward secrecy
Compare RSA, ECC (P-256, Curve25519), and post-quantum KEM candidates by key size and operational cost
Your checkpoint
A worked RSA example with all intermediate values plus a 10-question self-test on asymmetric primitives scored at 80% or higher
Hash Functions and Message Authentication & Introduction to Cryptography and Encryption
Select an appropriate hash (SHA-256, SHA-3, BLAKE2) for a given scenario and justify the choice against collision and preimage resistance needs
Distinguish HMAC, KMAC, and plain hash-then-encrypt constructions and identify which provide message authentication
Explain length-extension attacks and why HMAC is not vulnerable to them
Map each of the nine exam domains to its weight and list two weak areas to revisit
Your checkpoint
A domain-weight map with personal confidence ratings (1-5) per domain, plus a written explanation of why SHA-256 alone does not authenticate a message
Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Certificates & Digital Signatures and Key Management
Trace a full certificate lifecycle: CSR, issuance, chain building, revocation via CRL and OCSP, and expiry handling
Identify the fields of an X.509 v3 certificate and explain the role of extensions such as SAN, key usage, and basic constraints
Explain how a digital signature binds identity to a public key and where the signature is verified in a TLS handshake
Compare code signing, document signing, and TLS server certificates by validation depth and key protection requirements
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn certificate chain diagram for a three-tier PKI annotated with validation checks at each link, explained aloud in under five minutes
Cryptographic Protocols and Applications
Walk through the TLS 1.3 handshake message by message and label where each key is derived
Compare TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 by cipher suite structure, round trips, and removed legacy features
Explain SSH transport and authentication layers and the role of known_hosts in host key verification
Describe how IPsec IKEv2 and S/MIME apply the primitives studied so far
Your checkpoint
An annotated TLS 1.3 handshake sequence diagram with each message labeled by purpose and key derivation step
Cryptanalysis and Cryptographic Attacks
Classify attacks by target: brute force, meet-in-the-middle, birthday, padding oracle, and side channel
Explain why ECB leaks structure and demonstrate the pattern with a conceptual example
Describe how nonce reuse breaks GCM and CTR confidentiality and integrity
Outline the mechanics of a downgrade attack and how TLS 1.3 prevents it
Your checkpoint
An attack-to-mitigation matrix covering at least eight attacks with the control that defeats each, written from memory then corrected against notes
Cryptography Standards and Compliance & Digital Signatures and Key Management
Map FIPS 140-3 validation levels to procurement questions a security team should ask
List the NIST SP 800-57 key lifecycle stages and state the destruction requirement for each key type
Identify which algorithms are disallowed under current guidance (SHA-1, 3DES, RSA-1024) and the migration path for each
Explain key rotation, key escrow, and separation of duties in a key management policy
Your checkpoint
A two-page key management policy outline covering generation, storage, rotation, and destruction, aligned to SP 800-57 terminology
Introduction to Cryptography and Encryption & Symmetric Key Encryption & Asymmetric Key Encryption & Hash Functions and Message Authentication & Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Certificates & Digital Signatures and Key Management & Cryptographic Protocols and Applications & Cryptanalysis and Cryptographic Attacks & Cryptography Standards and Compliance
Complete two timed full-length practice sets and log every missed question by domain
Re-derive the three weakest concepts from scratch without reference material
Explain each of the nine domains in a two-minute verbal summary
Review all personal error logs and confirm no domain remains below a 4/5 confidence rating
Your checkpoint
A final error log showing at least 85% on the second timed practice set and every domain rated 4 or higher
Milestones
Week 2: Score 80% or higher on a self-made 10-question asymmetric cryptography quiz and produce a correct hand-worked RSA example
Week 4: Explain a complete certificate chain validation aloud in under five minutes with no notes and no errors in extension interpretation
Week 6: Reproduce the attack-to-mitigation matrix from memory with at least eight correct pairings
Week 8: Score 85% or higher on a timed full-length practice set and show every domain at confidence 4/5 or above