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• 1 media/forex2.jpg media/2222.jpg 2018-04-12T19:18:57-07:00 A Blockchain Course Is Now Part of USC Viterbi's Curriculum 6 image_header 2018-04-13T10:12:57-07:00 A course on the blockchain technology is now available at USC. The university made the course available during the past semester. Students will be able to learn about infrastructure and how it can have repercussions on the society. The course is currently being taught by Nitin Kalé who is an associate professor in the Viterbi School of Engineering wing. Among the foremost digital currencies in the modern world is Bitcoin.

  This currency is supported by the blockchain infrastructure, which is a database that facilitates transactions.

  Blockchain Now a Relevant Subject

  Kalé saw this infrastructure as a relevant subject that will shape the business world in the near future. Among the things that inspired the introduction of the course are:

  • Huge interest by the students
  • The relevance of blockchain in future
  • The importance of learning about future business trends
  
  The course has been largely successful over its first semester. Students were interested in the course and adjustments had to be made as the class size changed over time. Cryptocurrency news is not too uncommon nowadays.

  It is thus understandable that other institutions of higher learning have introduced courses for the subject in recent years. 

  
  Kalé is well-informed on the subject having spent over two years studying it. He has come up with blockchain guides that will act as the core material for students. The associate professor hopes that the course will be picked up in full after its trial phase is over. 
  
  The associate professor hopes to see everything coming into place by the end of 2018. He first plans to start off with a specialization course for the subject which will then develop into a minor in blockchain technology by 2019. As per the schools Information Technology program course structure, the minor option is comprised of a total of five or six subjects. The specialization option, on the other hand, takes a total of three courses. 

  High Sights Set for the Blockchain Course

  
  Admittedly, Kalé reckons that while his first run was largely successful, he might have overreached with his curriculum goals. Over the first semester, most of the goals that he had set were met but there was not enough time to cover everything. This is why he wants to streamline the course and adopt efficiency and effectiveness in his delivery style for the spring semester. 
  
  
  By doing that, the professor will hopefully cover more topics and finish the course material on time. Regarding the interest in the course from the student fraternity, there was always enthusiastic responses about the topic even before it was introduced. A junior student in the department of business even started a student organization that is specifically meant to bring together students interested in the blockchain technology.
  
  Daniel Aghachi, the student behind the organization, refers to the lack of such an association as his central motivation for creating the organization. Now he and professor Kalé are at the forefront of championing the technology to the rest of the faculty. Kalé was even able to send his students some Bitcoin as part of classwork. Aghachi pointed out that the professor wanted to stress the importance of understanding the technology in full, hence sending all his students some Bitcoin to fully drive the point home.
• 1 media/forex2.jpg media/2222.jpg 2018-08-31T00:31:20-07:00 How can Blockchain Help With Cybersecurity? 6 USC Marshall School of Business image_header 2018-08-31T00:39:32-07:00 Blockchain has been regarded as one of the most important technologies for the future. The tech has made it possible to have a functional digital financial system that is now among the most impressive in the world. The success of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has made the case for blockchain. The blockchain infrastructure is preferred by many entities in the tech world because it has brought in efficiency and speed in making transactions. Regardless of this, the young infrastructure still faces many security challenges.

  It might have a huge potential for increasing cybersecurity but the challenges must be overcome first.

  Understanding the Potential of Blockchain in Cybersecurity

  The main reason why the tech world has regarded blockchain as a potential solution for cybersecurity is that of its inherent characteristics.
  
  Blockchain is unique with features like:

  • A foolproof record-keeping system
  • High transactional speeds
  • The openness of the platform

  
  The success of Bitcoin came about as a result of the decentralized ledger. In sharp contrast to other record-keeping systems, the blockchain infrastructure made if possible for the ledger to be shared across all shareholders thus making it impossible to be tampered with. In addition, the accuracy of recording blocks on the blockchain made it the first system to be fully dependable.
   

  In addition, the blockchain infrastructure came with unprecedented transaction speeds. The efficient utilization of 21st-century technologies to develop a financial system ensured that no other system came close to blockchain in terms of speed. Blockchain still remains the fastest platform in terms of making smart contracts and approving transactions. According to BitMoneyNews, the potential for higher speeds still exists on the blockchain platform.
   

  Finally, the openness of the platform is like no other. Being a decentralized platform, there is barely any dominance of a single institution when it comes to sharing information. This openness has made the platform credible and also open for scrutiny by all. On the downside though, the openness of the platform has brought about security challenges.

  How Blockchain Can help With Cybersecurity

  Having looked at the benefits of blockchain, it is now time to look at how these advantages can be used to boost cybersecurity. The main cyber threat is data. Data can be stolen, manipulated, or changed to for the purposes of fraud and other crimes. Blockchain can aid in the protection of data in many ways.
  
   

  First, blockchain has been proven to have nearly foolproof records. The platform is organized in blocks which record data and keep it untampered. Once a register of the data on the blocks has been established and shared on the blockchain, there is no way of changing the data without disrupting the consensus of the nodes spread across the chain.
   

  Secondly, there are no official records made by the platform. Since the ledger is basically shared across the platform, there is even no need for any other official records.

  This has a lot of advantage for data security because it removes the possibility of tampering with information.

   

  Finally, blockchain can be used to produce cryptographic certificates which can prove ownership of an asset. Any kind of copyrighted content can be recorded in the blockchain from which documents of ownership can be reproduced. Blockchain would thus act as the original source of copyright and data information.
• 1 media/forex2.jpg media/forex3.png 2018-04-23T17:57:01-07:00 New Blockchain Course Introduced in USC 1 The Viterbi School of Engineering image_header 2018-04-23T17:57:01-07:00 The Viterbi School of Engineering has a new course in the curriculum for students. The course focuses on blockchain and it was introduced after an apparent quest for the course by both the students and instructors. This course is the first of its kind in the school and it aims at imparting students with the knowledge about the possible applications of blockchain in business. The course, which is taught by associate professor Nitin Kalé, also focuses on the relevance of blockchain in the society as a whole.
  
  Blockchain is the technology that enabled Bitcoin, one of the best cryptocurrencies, to reach its full potential. The technology is widely lauded for several features that include:
  • Fast transactions
  • IMproved security
  • Easy verification of transactions
  Professor Kalé says that this technology has the potential to disrupt business, hence his reason for bringing the course to students.
  
   

  The Course Has Gained Popularity

  
  The initial test run for the course at the school proved to be successful according to the professor. Many students expressed interest and the class size had to be adjusted upwards. The blockchain course has indeed had a similar reception in other universities like UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Princeton where it has been ongoing for a while now.
  
  Professor Kalé admits that the course he introduced was a result of his own commitment to study and analyze the blockchain database for a period of two years. While the course is not complete, he has great hopes for it.

  The long-term goal for both the school and the professor is to have a blockchain curriculum that will allow students to access the course as a permanent offering.

  
  The Viterbi Information Technology allows for either a minor or specialization course structure. Professor Kalé hopes that both of the options will be available for students by the end of 2019.
  
  

  More Improvements Will be Made on the Course

  
  Professor Kalé hopes to improve the course over the course of time. Even though the first attempt was successful, he admits that some inefficiency issues were identified which must be fixed. There is still room to add some more topics and he hopes to add them before the next run starts.
  
  On the part of the students, the interest in blockchain has been there even before the course was introduced. Trojan Blockchain Society, for instance, was founded by Daniel Aghachi to bring together students who were interested in the technology. Aghachi, a junior student pursuing business administration represents a legion of other students who come from different fields but share the same passion. Aghachi cities the lack of a central body to coordinate the affairs of students interested in the technology as the key motivator for the formation of his organization.
  
  Aghachi and Professor Kalé have faith in the new course and they are now the leading figures who are spreading the gospel about the new course. They both hope that the faculty and the entire school fraternity will get behind them. Professor Kalé has already demonstrated his commitment to the course by sending actual bitcoin to students as part of coursework.