Security

New Tech Taps Blockchain to Secure Student Data

• By Sri Ravipati
• 08/10/17

Sony Corporation and Sony Global Education have finished developing a cloud-based platform built on IBM Blockchain that allows a secure exchange of educational data.

Blockchain technology records and keeps information safe by creating a decentralized record of data that can be confirmed and validated without relying on a single authority. IBM Blockchain underpins Sony’s new education platform, which harnesses IBM Cloud and The Linux Foundation’s  Hyperledger Fabric 1.0 blockchain framework.

"Blockchain technology has the potential to impact systems in a wide variety of industries, and the educational sphere is no exception when educational data is securely stored on the blockchain and shared among permissioned users,” said Masaaki Isozu, president of Sony Global Education, in a prepared statement.

Administrators at schools, colleges and universities can use the system to consolidate registration, attendance, grades, degrees, diplomas and other types of educational data from several schools, forming “digital transcripts” that track student progress. In addition, the digital transcripts can integrate with student information systems and learning management systems across multiple providers.

The system can also be utilized to securely disclose information to third-party providers — which are often susceptible to hackers attempting to get ahold of student data.

Students can carry these digital transcripts with them to other educational institutions or prospective employers.

The company is currently working with several educational institutions, and plans to roll out the system sometime next year.