Bill Buchanan (computer scientist)

Bill Buchanan is a Scottish computer scientist. He is a professor at Edinburgh Napier University, where he leads the Blockpass ID Lab, and the Centre for Cybersecurity, IoT and Cyberphysical. In 2017 he received an OBE for services to cyber security.

Buchanan's work focuses on applied cryptography, blockchain, cybersecurity, citizen-focused health care and digital identity.

On 6 May 2015 he launched The Cyber Academy at the Merchiston Campus of Edinburgh Napier University with a goal of "bringing together industry professionals, law enforcement and academics with a view to combining strengths to combat the growing threat of criminal use of hacking software to steal money, data and intellectual property.".

In November 2015, Buchanan and his team set up a fake Web site for hackers to gain access to, as part of a BBC Panorama programme. In 2016, Buchanan was also included in the FutureScot list for the "50 Scottish Tech People Who Are Changing The World".

In 2018 Buchanan was the lead academic on a project designed to improve the security of Internet of Things (IOT) devices. The aim was to test how vulnerable IOT devices and networks are to hacking.

Buchanan and Jamie Graves founded an Edinburgh Napier University spin-out (Inquisitive Systems) in 2010, and which became Zonefox in 2013. Zonefox was acquired by Fortinet on 23 October 2018. Buchanan also led research which led to the Symphonic Trust spin-out, and which was acquired by Ping ID in November 2020.

Buchanan is the creator and sole author of the Asecuritysite.com web site. Asecuritysite was a shortlisted finalist for the Security Training Programme of the Year at the Computing Security Excellence Awards 2024.

• In 2015, named in the "50 most influential UK higher education professionals on social media".
• In 2015, led a cipher cracking team to win the Universally Challenged competition.
• In 2016, included in "The Digital List: 50 people from various areas of Scotland's technology industries who are changing the world".
• In 2017, appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to cyber security, and was the first person to receive an OBE related to cyber security.
• In 2023, received the "Most Innovative Teacher of the Year" award at the Times Higher Education Awards 2023.
• Winner of ENSA (Edinburgh Napier Student Association) Excellence Awards for Best Lecturer in the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2023.
• In 2024, elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE).
• In 2025, awarded "Evangelist of the Year", at Scottish Cyber Security Awards. He also won it in 2016.