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Workshop Title Slide

Getting started with Encryption

Data breaches and cyberattacks are increasingly prevalent, making safeguarding sensitive research data more important than ever. This module will dive into the world of encryption: what it is, when it should be used, and how to do it. No technical expertise is required – we’ll demystify encryption and show you how to secure your data against unauthorized access, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. This module has sections with step-by-step instructions on how to use common encryption tools.

Before getting started

You may want to check if your device is already encrypted, as many modern computers are.

  • If using an external drive, have it on hand. These can be especially handy for backups as you encrypt.
  • If using MacDrive, make sure you have an account. (McMaster employees onboarded post Spring/Summer 2018 should have an account automatically, but if not, one can be requested through the UTS Contact Us page)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

  • Describe encryption and the different types
  • Discuss the importance of encryption in research data management
  • Choose, store, and safely backup strong encryption passwords
  • Encrypt full disks, USB drives, and individual files and folders

Duration

This module will take around 1 to 2 hours, however feel free to work at your own pace!

You can also jump directly to the section for a given encryption software to learn more about it.

Land Acknowledgement

McMaster University is situated in Ohròn:wakon which is the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas. This land is covered by the “Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant”, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee confederacy and Anishinaabe nations to ensure those who live here take only what they need, leave enough in the dish for others, and keep the dish clean. This land is also covered by the Between the Lakes Treaty of 1792 and is very close to the 1784 Haldimand Treaty, which holds the land six miles to each side of the Grand River as a tract for Six Nations, which is currently not being honored.

Many of us at the Sherman Centre took the First Nations’ Information Governance Centre’s OCAP course, which stands for Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession. We encourage you to learn more about OCAP and Indigenous data management practices more broadly, including the OCAS principles endorsed by the Manitoba Métis Federation, the principles of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ (Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami) National Inuit Strategy on Research, and Global Indigenous Data Alliance’s CARE principles.

In particular, we acknowledge that encryption is an important tool for data privacy, protection, and sovereignty. It is a useful for individuals and communities to know how to protect potentially sensitive data.