HomeAboutTeamRoadmapContact A pioneering new research lab, the Blockpass Identity Lab, will explore ways in which blockchain technology can protect personal data from online scammers and hackers. BIL is a collaboration between Blockpass IDN and Edinburgh Napier University which was announced in April 2018.The initial scope of the partnership is the creation of a pioneering new research lab, while further developing methods to protect consumer identity and the right of citizens to data privacy. Why? A series of data breach scandals at companies like Yahoo, Uber and Equifax highlighted the risks of centralising the storage of personal user data. Blockpass is using blockchain to develop alternatives which allow users to retain control of their identity, with only they deciding who can access their sensitive personal data. Key research focus areas Create world-leading knowledge and innovation around citizen-focused systems which enshrine the right to privacy Zero-Knowledge Proofs and the ability to validate the authenticity of information without having access to, or knowledge of, the information Homomorphic encryption, enabling computation to be carried out on encrypted data as if it were unencrypted, so that encrypted data can be analysed without revealing it in its raw form - further enhancing the privacy of a user’s personal information Beyond just identity, research will also be carried out that will benefit food provenance, the construction sector and digital voting The ultimate goal of Blockpass is global realization of decentralized identity for regulated industries and the Internet of Everything. As an identity system supporting verification of humans, organizations, objects, and connected devices, Blockpass will enable development of new applications that rely on a trusted connection between human, corporate, and device identities. At the core of the Blockpass protocol is a self-sovereign identity system that supports user ownership of personal data, objects and devices. This facilitates the transition from a centralized internet, where data and commerce is controlled by large organizations, to Web 3.0, where users control their data and have access to decentralized applications. Edinburgh Napier University, which takes its name from the brilliant 16th century mathematician John Napier, has more than 19,000 students from more than 130 countries. Its six Edinburgh-based Schools are spread across three campuses, and it also has transnational education partnerships in Hong Kong, China, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Switzerland. Teaching programmes have strong links with industry, and more than half of the university’s research was recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent in the most recent Research Excellence Framework review. Through the Bright Red Triangle, the university offers a one-stop shop for extra-curricular innovation and enterprise activities. With over 50 academics and 1100 students, our School of Computing is one of the UK’s largest computing departments. The people behind BIL Prof. Bill Buchanan OBE Lab Director Adam Vaziri CEO Blockpass Dr. Hans Lombardo CMO Blockpass BIL Timeline 2018 4 May Collaboration Agreement signed 4 June Formal Launch scheduled for 26 September 18 June Final Lab Layout design approved 26 June PhD Studentship Selection Interviews commence 26 September Official Lab Opening identity-lab@napier.ac.uk A world-leading collaboration with Blockpass IDN | © Edinburgh Napier University and Blockpass IDN Limited
| Types | Organization |