Many people want to increase their knowledge of information protection. Cryptography, the practice of writing and solving codes, may be the perfect field of study for these individuals. Classes in this subject area teach students about data privacy and authentication.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.