The IOTA Foundation has recently announced the appointment of cybersecurity icon, Bill Buchanan as the fourth member of the IOTA Research Council. The highly revered professor, who previously received an OBE for his services to the cybersecurity industry, has long been a supporter of technical innovation and fairness online. Buchanan’s arrival will see him review the work being carried out on IOTA’s blockchain project.
It’s an exciting time for the IOTA community to have such a highly-renowned individual involved within its Research Council. Buchanan’s deep-rooted passion for all things connected to cryptography and blockchain tech meant his inclusion to IOTA was a natural step. Earlier this year, Buchanan helped develop a world-first blockchain identity research laboratory in partnership with Blockpass IDN and is also the figurehead for the Centre for Distributed Computing and Security and The Cyber Academy.
Buchanan to Help IOTA Build a More Trusted World
When asked to comment about his appointment onto the IOTA Research Council, Buchanan spoke of the need to “build a more trusted world” in the 21st century; one which will “respect privacy, consent and ownership”. Buchanan believes the world is in “a phase of rapid rebuilding” and that his involvement with the IOTA Research Council will give them the “opportunity to inform the future”, helping to make “decisions which will help build a solid foundation for our next generation”.
Buchanan regularly appears on national media outlets to discuss various aspects surrounding computer security and has even provided his expert opinion to the Scottish and UK parliaments on online security and privacy issues. At the 2016 Scottish Knowledge Exchange awards, Buchanan was given an “Outstanding Contribution to Knowledge Exchange” award, along with a “Cyber Evangelist of the Year” gong.
IOTA’s influence being felt in China
While positive noises are emanating from the IOTA community in the UK, IOTA has also been featured further afield in China. Edward Greve, the platform’s director of technology, was present at a recent blockchain tech summit in China. Those with a bullish approach to IOTA that are looking to continue to buy IOTA believe Mr Greve’s presence is an indication of IOTA’s potential growth in China and is seemingly an ideal fit for the People’s Republic’s burgeoning ‘smart economy’.
The IOTA Foundation is also working hard to engage with its community and foster ground-breaking innovation from within. Its latest approach to rewarding those who publish thought-provoking community content is with a competition called ‘The Perfect Brainstorm’. The Foundation is calling on the “brightest thinkers” within the community to develop new use-cases for the IOTA platform. The winning contestant will scoop $300 and their ideas will be considered by the IOTA Foundation for adoption. The second-placed entrant will win $200 and the award for third place will be $100. All those finishing in the top five of the contest will also be awarded IOTA-branded Ledger Nano S cold storage crypto wallets.
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