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Theory Lesson · Fundamentals

Encryption, Actually

Not a lab — a read. Myths debunked, the physics of why brute force actually fails, what quantum computers really threaten, and where all of it shows up in a tool you already use: SSH.
Done

Physics, not vibes.

Every myth in this lesson collapses the same way: someone treated a security property as a feeling instead of a number. AES-256 isn't safe because it "seems strong" — it's safe because the energy bill for breaking it exceeds what the universe has to spend. RSA isn't at risk from quantum computers because they're "powerful" — it's at risk because Shor's algorithm changes the actual math problem being solved. Hold onto that instinct. It's the same one every live-break in this track's labs was building: don't assume, check the number.
Sources: Schneier, Applied Cryptography thermodynamic limit argument · NIST FIPS 203/204/205 (Aug. 2024) · OpenSSH Post-Quantum Cryptography notes (openssh.org/pq.html)
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ends with a "mark complete" step