Decrypting cryptography

The main focus of the bachelor curriculum ASUR (Administration et Sécurité des Réseaux) is security of networks and operating systems. It necessitates to get the students familiar with the different techniques they will have to operate to secure access and communications in the networks they will be in charge of. Within the curriculum of this bachelor degree, we are in charge of two courses on introduction to security and cryptography. This domain of expertise is particularly difficult to grasp for students whose mathematical background is often insufficient. Such a subject can thus easily become somewhat boring for students, although it is a core technical skill for them. This paper shows our approach to make these courses attractive.