The security classification determines where you can store your data and how it needs to be protected. You can find more information on the IT's website Information Security.
You don't need to protect public data separately, but they should still be handled carefully. Public data include all data that is not confidential (see basic security level and high security level), including publications, bulletins and public documents.
Basic security level data should always be carefully protected. Basic level data includes, for example:
The high security level includes special categories of personal data. Processing them is not recommended in the thesis. You can find more information in the section Personal data.
Microsoft Office 365 cloud services of the University of Lapland are usually suitable for storing and using data in thesis. OneDrive is a cloud storage for storing data and sharing files with other users. The storage space is 1 Tb. Please note you need to carefully protect all basic security level data. You cannot use Office cloud services if you are processing high security level data.
We recommend using Teams with your University of Lapland ID when doing remote interviews. Please follow the information security guidelines of the Tampere University where appropriate.
Take care to protect your computer and the data you store there for example with firewalls, malware prevention, backup, and password protection. You can also encrypt your data. Do not use USB flash drives as the primary or only storage location for your files. If you are storing information that needs to be protected on flash drives, get a data-encrypting flash drive.
Voice recorders, cameras and similar audio-visual recording devices that are not connected to cloud services are recommended for recording voice, pictures and video. The devices are not usually protected in any way, so protect the information in them by keeping the devices in a locked space. Take special care when using and moving the devices. Transfer recordings from the devices as quickly as possible to another storage location.
Avoid connecting the devices in to cloud services when using them or transferring data. Be careful with wireless connections as well. It is safest to turn off wireless connections. You can also password-protect connections.
Using phones to collect and store data requires special care and modification of device settings. Phones are often automatically connected to the device manufacturer's cloud service and simultaneous research and private use poses a security risk. You must take care to ensure that materials containing personal data, for example, are not transferred to the cloud and are protected. This can be difficult to implement in practice.
Take care of storing and protecting non-digital materials as well. Materials containing personal data or other confidential information must be kept in a locked space.
You can find more information on information security and university storage solutions on the website of the IT services.
IT Services advises on issues related to device safety and the protection and encryption of research data. The students' helpdesk is available at helpdesk(at)ulapland.fi and at the University's main lobby campus visit point.
If you need help in selecting a file format, please see the Finnish Social Science Data Archive's Data Management Guide.
The University of Lapland IT Services recommends using Cryptomator in encryption.
