Blockchain Security
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There are 5 modules in this course
This course introduces blockchain security, including a description of how the blockchain works at each level of the blockchain ecosystem. The instructor begins with the building blocks that create the structure of blockchain, the cryptography that it uses for security, and the role of hash functions in the blockchain and how they can be attacked. In the next module, the instructor describes what blockchain consensus is, why it’s needed, its underlying theory (Byzantine Fault Tolerance and Security via Scarcity), some of the common consensus algorithms, and the security issues inherent to each variant. The course progresses with a module that describes how blocks are created, the nodes and network that make up the blockchain ecosystem, and examples of various attacks that can be made on their security. Next the focus is on smart contracts and how their security can be compromised with vulnerabilities created by common programming errors during contract development, including in Ethereum, the most commonly used smart contract platform. Finally, the course wraps up with discussions of distributed ledger architectures that are alternatives to blockchain, second-level blockchain protocols, and advanced cryptography in blockchain.
This module introduces blockchain and discusses the security of the cryptography that it uses. It describes how the components of the blockchain are put together, how cryptography is used in blockchain technology, and how public-key cryptography and hash functions are used in blockchain, as well as their security considerations.
What's included
20 videos1 assignment
20 videos•Total 81 minutes
- Welcome to blockchain security!•3 minutes
- Fundamentals of blockchain security•3 minutes
- What is the blockchain?•4 minutes
- The promises of blockchain•10 minutes
- Inside the blockchain hype•4 minutes
- Structure of the blockchain•1 minute
- The blocks•5 minutes
- The chains•4 minutes
- What is public-key cryptography?•3 minutes
- How does public-key cryptography work?•5 minutes
- Public-key cryptography in the blockchain•2 minutes
- Security assumptions of public-key cryptography•2 minutes
- Poor random number generation•5 minutes
- Lost/stolen private keys•4 minutes
- Quantum computing•2 minutes
- What is a hash function?•3 minutes
- Properties of hash functions•6 minutes
- Hash functions in the blockchain•9 minutes
- Blockchain security hash key functions•5 minutes
- Fundamentals of blockchain security recap•1 minute
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Fundamentals of blockchain security quiz•10 minutes
This module introduces consensus algorithms and discusses the security of the most common variants. Consensus algorithms are essential to a distributed, decentralized ledger, where a network of nodes must agree on an official version of the ledger without a central authority. This course describes the underlying principles of consensus algorithms, how two of the primary consensus algorithms work under the hood and how they can be attacked.
What's included
20 videos1 assignment
20 videos•Total 87 minutes
- Consensus algorithm security overview•2 minutes
- Why does blockchain need consensus?•2 minutes
- The Byzantine generals problem•3 minutes
- Security via scarcity•4 minutes
- Common blockchain consensus algorithms•3 minutes
- The longest chain rule•2 minutes
- Introduction to proof of work•6 minutes
- Inside PoW mining•4 minutes
- Attacking PoW consensus•4 minutes
- The 51% attack•5 minutes
- Denial of service: artificial difficulty increases•8 minutes
- Introduction to proof of stake•4 minutes
- Choosing the block creator•8 minutes
- Attacking PoS consensus•5 minutes
- XX% attack and the PoS "timebomb"•7 minutes
- Fake stake attacks•4 minutes
- Long-range attacks•7 minutes
- Nothing at stake problem•4 minutes
- Sour milk attack•3 minutes
- Concensus algorithm security recap•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Consensus algorithm security quiz•10 minutes
This module discusses the ecosystem where the blockchain runs (the nodes and network) and its security. After understanding the different components of the blockchain, it is possible to discuss its security as a whole. This course investigates how blocks are created in the blockchain (and how block creation can be attacked) as well as discussing attacks targeting blockchain nodes and the network that ties them together and enables communication.
What's included
18 videos1 assignment
18 videos•Total 70 minutes
- Blockchain in action overview•2 minutes
- The blockchain ecosystem•5 minutes
- Inside the node•3 minutes
- How blocks are created•8 minutes
- Attacking block creation•2 minutes
- Denial-of-service attacks•3 minutes
- Frontrunning•6 minutes
- Selfish mining•5 minutes
- SPV mining•4 minutes
- Attacking blockchain nodes•2 minutes
- Blockchain software misconfiguration•4 minutes
- Denial of service•3 minutes
- Malicious transactions•3 minutes
- Attacking the blockchain network•2 minutes
- Eclipse attack•6 minutes
- Routing attack•5 minutes
- Sybil attack•3 minutes
- Blockchain in action recap•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Blockchain in action quiz•10 minutes
This module introduces smart contracts and discusses some of the most common programming errors made in smart contract development. Smart contract platforms are an extension of the original blockchain design, enabling fully functional programs to run “on the blockchain.” This course describes what a smart contract is and explores programming vulnerabilities that exist because a smart contract is a program, runs on a blockchain or is implemented on the Ethereum smart contract platform.
What's included
21 videos1 assignment
21 videos•Total 102 minutes
- Smart contract security overview•3 minutes
- The world computer•5 minutes
- Smart contracts•6 minutes
- General programming vulnerabilities•2 minutes
- Arithmetic vulnerabilities•3 minutes
- Arithmetic vulnerabilities code example•9 minutes
- Right-to-left control character•6 minutes
- Blockchain vulnerabilities•2 minutes
- Access control•7 minutes
- Bad randomness•7 minutes
- Denial of service•3 minutes
- Frontrunning vulnerabilities•3 minutes
- Frontrunning vulnerabilities code example•7 minutes
- Timestamp dependence•6 minutes
- Ethereum vulnerabilities•2 minutes
- Denial of service•8 minutes
- Reentrancy•3 minutes
- Reentrancy code example•8 minutes
- Short addresses•4 minutes
- Unchecked return values•5 minutes
- Smart contract security recap•2 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
- Smart contract security quiz•10 minutes
This module goes beyond the basic blockchain to discuss other distributed ledger architectures, advanced cryptographic protections, and blockchain extensions like sidechains and second-layer protocols. It discusses how the blockchain protocol can be replaced (using different underlying architectures), expanded (with second-layer protocols) or improved (using advanced cryptographic primitives) to overcome some of the limitations of blockchain technology.
What's included
14 videos2 assignments
14 videos•Total 55 minutes
- Beyond the basics of blockchain overview•2 minutes
- Alternative distributed ledger architectures•6 minutes
- Introduction to DAGs•7 minutes
- Introduction to block lattices•2 minutes
- Introduction to sidechains•4 minutes
- Second-level blockchain protocols•2 minutes
- How a state channel works•5 minutes
- Advanced cryptography in blockchain•1 minute
- Multisignatures•5 minutes
- Zero-knowledge proofs•4 minutes
- Stealth addresses•3 minutes
- Ring signatures•5 minutes
- Commitment schemes•6 minutes
- Beyond the basics recap•2 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
- Blockchain security cumulative quiz•30 minutes
- Beyond the basics of blockchain quiz•30 minutes
Instructor
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LearnQuest
Course
- Status: Free TrialL
LearnQuest
Course
- Status: Free TrialL
LearnQuest
Course
- Status: Free Trial
Course
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Reviewed on Oct 20, 2023
No practical tutorials and tasks. Only theory and understanding are not enough to learn security properly.
Reviewed on Jul 29, 2023
Thanks for offering this kind of course for free.l appreciate the content and got a great knowledge. Please make more clear when presenting & teaching the content
Reviewed on Jun 11, 2023
very powerful, it has ten of info. I am working as a smart contract auditor and I find a lot of info here too Thanks
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