From counting fish to virus spread
Good research starts with data protection
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Researchers love their data. Well, ‘their data’: it inevitably includes a lot of other people’s data. What can you do to keep that sensitive information as private as possible?
Nowadays, we all have to be careful not to let anyone steal our data. Identity theft, extortion and an emptied bank account are no longer the stuff of science fiction. But some of us have to be extra mindful of privacy. WUR researchers are an example, because the terabytes of data they collect are not just valuable to them, but they contain a lot of other people’s personal data, from the routes and catches of fishing vessels to the health information of trial subjects and test animals.
The terabytes of data that researchers collect are not just valuable to them, but they contain a lot of people’s personal information
This data has to be fully protected and safeguarded, not only for the sake of the law, but also for the University’s reputation and, perhaps most importantly, in order to not damage the trust with which it was given. Data awareness has grown enormously within WUR in recent years. Regular password changes are now part of standard practice, and USB sticks have been banned as a means of transporting data. Logging in via VPN, two-factor authentication and data management plans are now commonplace. For researchers, it is extremely important to keep an eye on what data they are collecting and what they do with it, even after the research has been completed. Prevention is always better than cure, but providing regulations is also important. At the very least, it is essential to know what to do in the event of a data incident.
