Stanford University to offer digital currency course

Recognizing the importance of protecting the privacy and security of digital assets, the Stanford University School of Engineering will offer a new course on this topic in September this year. The course is called "Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin and Friends (CS251)". The course will be taught from September 21, 2015 to December 9, 2015.

Dan Boneh a professor of computer science in Stanford’s School of Engineering who will teach the new course, said:

“The technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is a vital and indispensable means of protecting information.”

Boneh said virtual currencies have the potential to transform the existing payments industry.

The course will also be available as an online video tutorial, and those who want to watch it will need to be enrolled in Stanford University's Graduate Certificate Program in Cybersecurity.

Boneh says:

“Stanford is actively working to address global cybersecurity issues, and people can join us to learn the critical skills they need to protect the world.”

Courses focus on technical aspects

According to the course description, the new course covers aspects such as how to write secure software, the interaction between cryptocurrency systems, and the reliability of distributed consensus. Topics include: altcoins, bitcoin transactions, consensus protocols, cryptocurrencies, elliptic curves, hash functions, mining strategies and incentives, bitcoin regulation, and a cashless and currencyless world.

A free webinar will be held on August 25, 2015, from 10am to 11pm PST and 1pm to 2pm EST.

During the seminar, Boneh will discuss the development of cryptocurrency and computer security. Boneh is an expert in cybersecurity, focusing on creating security mechanisms that are easy to use and deploy. In this process, he uses an interdisciplinary approach.

Boneh is also co-director of the Stanford Computer Security Lab. He attended the 2015 White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection.

Course is part of the Cybersecurity program

The new course is part of the Cybersecurity Program, which is designed to provide a professional, technical perspective on advances in information technology.

Other Cybersecurity program courses include:

• Computer and Network Security

• Introduction to Computer Networks

• Introduction to Cryptography

• Operating Systems and Systems Programming

• Technology and national security

Registered students can browse the specific content of the program online.

To earn the Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate, you must complete all four courses. The Stanford Center for Professional Development provides video lectures, course materials, and exams.

To enroll in a course or certificate program, applicants must first complete a non-degree application.

The program is suitable for information security managers, network developers, computer network architects, and other computer industry professionals.

Details can be found here.

Stanford University's Center for Professional Development will help the above-mentioned professionals register for new courses at Stanford University.