As a leading research university, Case Western Reserve is home to a wealth of study-related information—and protecting that data is a critical part of the university’s commitment to innovation and discovery.
Beyond ensuring personal privacy, effectively protecting data helps ensure trust, maintains compliance and upholds research integrity.
Data Privacy Day (Jan. 28) recognizes the importance of protecting personal information and raises awareness about best practices for data protection. To mark the date, we spoke with Bogdan Vykhovanyuk, the university’s chief information security officer, to learn how his team supports the university’s efforts to safeguard data and ensure a secure research environment.
“Our dedicated research infrastructure is designed with rigorous controls, safeguards, and checks and balances to ensure equipment remains secure, access is limited to authorized individuals, and our processes consistently align with industry best practices,” said Vykhovanyuk.
While [U]Tech and information security provide a robust, secure, and compliant infrastructure tailored to support research activities, researchers must actively engage with and adhere to proper usage practices to ensure ongoing compliance with standards, said Vykhovanyuk. The university, through its University Compliance Program, the Office of Research, and [U]Tech, maintains a number of privacy-related policies that the community is expected to follow.
Review some steps everyone in the CWRU community can take to strengthen data privacy and security.
1. Stay informed.
Beyond institutional expectations, there’s a matrix of federal regulations and sponsor requirements to navigate as well.
“The landscape is ever-evolving and changing, and it’s really important as an investigator to stay current with the data rules and security requirements,” said Joan Schenkel, CWRU associate vice president for research. “As an investigator, it’s your responsibility to know what your sponsor’s regulations and requirements are, and then to work with [U]Tech and research administration, to some extent, to ensure that you’re compliant with your sponsor’s regulations.”
Those engaged in research must ensure compliance with relevant standards and review Data Management and Sharing Plans. A hub of resources about data management for researchers is available.
Subscribe to the Office of Research and Technology Management’s Research Insights newsletter to keep up-to-date on the latest regulatory developments and policy changes impacting researchers.
2. Protect and properly store your research data.
CWRU has systems dedicated to storing and managing research data. Most recently, LabArchives, an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) platform, was made available to the CWRU research community to support efficient data management and ensure secure research documentation across labs and departments. Learn more about LabArchives.
“From a broader [U]Tech perspective, we offer additional storage solutions, such as Box, which is designed to meet rigorous federal government requirements for data security,” said Dan Matthews, assistant vice president for Research Computing and Infrastructure Services, which offers Data Storage and Archival service, among other options. “Box enables controlled access to data, enforces encryption standards, and ensures secure network protocols for seamless and compliant data management. Researchers are encouraged to utilize these resources to ensure robust compliance.”
4. Minimize data sharing.
Share only the necessary information whenever you’re working with others (colleagues, third parties, external partners and collaborators, etc.), and ensure secure transmission methods and that you work with the Office of Research and Technology Management to execute the required data transfer agreements.
5. Think before you click.
Be cautious with email links and attachments, especially from unknown sources. If something seems suspicious, report it promptly.
6. Secure your devices.
Use strong, unique passphrases and enable multi-factor authentication. Regularly update software to patch vulnerabilities. Learn more about information security from [U]Tech.
7. Ask for help.
If you have questions about research data collection, storage or management, visit case.edu/researchdata.
For questions about data security, contact askinfosec@case.edu. The team will assist you directly or connect you with the appropriate university unit to address your concerns.