IU cybersecurity fellow named one of world’s top young innovators by MIT publication
Indiana University's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research has announced that Christopher Soghoian, a fellow at the center, has been recognized by MIT's Technology Review as a 2012 TR35 Honoree.
The designation recognizes the world's top young innovators under the age of 35, spanning biotechnology, computer and electronics hardware and software, energy, the Internet and nanotechnology, among other fields.
Chris Soghoian
Soghoian, a privacy researcher and activist, earned his Ph.D. from IU this summer. His multi-disciplinary research is focused on the role that third-party Internet and telecommunications service providers play in assisting law enforcement surveillance of their customers. His research has been published in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal and cited by several federal courts.
Previous TR35 honorees have included notable innovators like Google co-founder Larry Page and Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning.
"This year's TR35 recipients are applying technology to some of our generation's greatest challenges, and innovating to improve the way we live and work," said Jason Pontin, editor-in-chief and publisher of Technology Review. "We look forward to watching these young technology leaders grow and advance over the coming years."
Soghoian is well-known among academia, his colleagues and the media for his dedication to consumer privacy, especially as it relates to surveillance. In a profile published last fall, Soghoian was described by Wired magazine as the "Ralph Nader of the Internet." From 2009 to 2010, he served as the first in-house technologist at the Federal Trade Commission's Division of Privacy and Identity Protection. There he assisted with investigations of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Netflix.
Before joining the FTC, Soghoian co-created, along with IU alumnus Sid Stamm, the Do Not Track anti-tracking mechanism now adopted by all of the major Web browsers.
"Chris has established himself as a visionary voice in the field of digital privacy," said Fred H. Cate, director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research and the C. Ben Dutton Professor of Law at the Maurer School of Law. "His research is incredibly important at a time when some of our most fundamental beliefs about basic privacy have come into question. We're pleased to see his work garner the recognition it deserves."
Soghoian was selected by a panel of expert judges and the editorial staff of Technology Review, who evaluated more than 250 nominations. He will join other TR35 honorees at the EmTech MIT 2012 conference Oct. 24 to 26 in Cambridge, Mass. Soghoian and his fellow honorees will also be featured in the September/October issue of Technology Review.
In addition to his role with the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, Soghoian is also a TEDGlobal 2012 Fellow and was an Open Society Foundations Fellow from 2011 to 2012.
About the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research
The Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research is affiliated with IU's Pervasive Technology Institute and works closely with its partner organizations at the university: CLEAR Health Information, the Maurer School of Law, the Kelley School of Business, the School of Informatics and Computing, REN-ISAC, the University Information Policy Office and the University Information Security Office. It has been designated by the National Security Agency as a National Center for Academic Excellence in both Information Assurance Education and Research.
Originally published Aug. 21, 2012.
