Safeguard Research and Sensitive Information
Safeguarding your research involves implementing practices that protect research data and assets throughout the research lifecycle while abiding by policies, contracts, and laws. Strong security practices protect against unauthorized access and data loss, thereby promoting research continuity and integrity.
Information Security for Researchers provides resources and services to assist students, faculty, and staff with digitally safeguarding their work across all research stages.
Research Security in the Office of the Vice President, Research (OVPR) provides information, guidance, best practices and services to help the research community familiarize themselves with research security and risk.
The Government of Canada provides a portal for Safeguarding Your Research, which includes general information on research security as well as useful guidelines and tools. Tri-Agency Research Security Resources are also available.
The Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities provides a checklist for mitigating economic and geopolitical risk for Ontario Research Fund applications which includes guidance and resources of general utility.
Researchers often collect personal, confidential, or sensitive data. It is important to ensure that appropriate measures are established to prevent unauthorized access to this information to protect participants, researchers, and the University. McMaster Research Ethics Board (MREB) offers guidance on Data Storage and Security Tools. Additional guidance and useful resources relevant to data security are included in Researcher’s Information Security Handbook.
Contact your relevant research ethics board for additional guidance on data security related to ethics.
McMaster Ethics Boards
McMaster University Security Policies and Guidelines
- McMaster's Information Security Policya resource that will help you make better decisions to protect individual privacy, intellectual property, and the reputation of the University
- McMaster’s Portable Storage and Mobile Devices Policyensures that personal information, personal health information and other confidential and/or sensitive information in the University’s custody or control is properly safeguarded from those not entitled to have access, as well as protecting University systems from the introduction of malicious software
- Navigating Canada’s new STRAC Policy GuideMcMaster’s guide on the Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations Concern (STRAC) policy from federal granting agencies; research that advances sensitive technology will not be funded if research affiliates could pose a risk to national security
- Researcher’s Information Security Handbookguides McMaster researchers in securing their research data
Government of Canada Security Policies and Guidelines
The National Security Guidelines on Research Partnerships (NSGRP) from the Government of Canada aim to better position researchers, research organizations, and Government funders to undertake consistent, risk-targeted due diligence of potential risks to research security. The Tri-Agency guidance on NSGRP provides supplementary information.
Tri-Agencies, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), and other granting agencies that apply the NSGRP may require that applicants or grant recipients abide by specific policies including:
- Grant applications involving one or more private sector partner organizations must include a completed Risk Assessment Form
- The Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC) took effect on May 1, 2024
- The Tri-Agency guidance on the STRAC Policy offers supplementary guidance
Research Security in the Office of the Vice President, Research (OVPR) provides guidance on Navigating Canada’s new STRAC Policy as well as general risk assessment and mitigation support.
- Tri-Agency funding applicants should consult Tri-Agency Research Security Guidelines
- CFI funding applicants should consult CFI’s Research Security Guidelines
- Ontario Research Fund: Research Infrastructure grant applicants may be required to complete a Mitigating Geopolitical Risk Checklist
Training
- Protect your Research Data: Introduction to Information Security for Researchersintroductory information security webinar for McMaster researchers
- McMaster Information Security Training Programan optional online learning module that helps you step up your cyber fitness; all faculty, staff, and students at McMaster are encouraged to participate
- McMaster’s Research Security Webpageincludes upcoming webinars, information sessions, and training on research security
- Government of Canada Research Security Training Coursesthree courses to better equip Canadian researchers with the knowledge and resources to protect their research
Feedback
The Digital Research Kickstarter is a living document that will be refined as we gather more information from users. We encourage and welcome any feedback. Please submit your feedback below or by emailing AskResearch.
