ASSURED Training useful vocabulary

A Data Subject is the observation about whom the data relates. 

Usually a Data Subject is a natural person, but in the context of ASSURED, we expand this definition to refer to an observation that is represented by a single row in microdata. Under this definition, a Data Subject could also be a commercial entity, a group of people such as a family, a sensitive habitat, etc. 

To ensure the clarity and readability of the text, we tend to refer to the Data Subject as if they were a natural person (i.e. referring to Data Subjects as 'they') but it should be understood that the principles expressed also apply to other types of Data Subjects.   

Output Checkers assess outputs produced from sensitive data to ascertain if they can be considered 'Safe', because they are unlikely to lead to a disclosure that harms the Data Subjects, or not.

Many Trusted Research Environments require outputs to undergo a check before they are removed from the Safe Setting.

Remote access in principle is just a tweak to the concept of a Safe Room, meaning that it is a physical room with controls and restrictions. However, with remote access, this room is placed at a partner organization instead of at the data provider's location. Thus, while keeping up strict security measures, remote access allows for more flexibility in data access. This access can be enabled via bilateral agreements and secure technical connections.

With a remote desktop, access happens via a secure, encrypted internet connection from a user's own office​. This approach makes data much more accessible for researchers, compared to Safe Rooms. While control measures cannot be as tight as in physical Safe Rooms, several measures can be taken, such as disabling any further Internet connection, copying files outside the environment, or transferring them to another drive.

In a remote execution setting, users work from their own offices without directly accessing the data themselves. Instead, the users submit their data analysis code, e.g., to the data provider, which then runs the analyses and returns the results to the user.

A safe room is a secure room in the premises of the data provider​ in which researchers can work with sensitive data. Such a setting allows for the implementation of a number of physical controls. This includes, among others, clear access control, sealed virtual enrivonments, and the prohibition to bring any personal belongings (such as smartphones) into the room.

Sensitive Data refers to any form of data that has the potential to cause harm to the Data Subjects if it is misused. Whilst usually such concerns relate to the possible impact upon people, for example by revealing private information about someone, there are other reasons why a dataset may be sensitive including for commercial or environmental reasons. 

ASSURED has been designed to be as discipline-agnostic as is possible, that is to say that many of the principles will be the same whether the harm is to a person, business, or rare species. We therefore prefer to use the term Sensitive Data, as data that requires protection may not be personal data.  

Sensitive Data in our context are microdata, containing information at the individual-level. Each row in such a dataset will represent a single observation, be it a person, a household, or a business. Microdata are typically obtained from surveys, censuses, or administrative systems.