Information Privacy Security
Breaches of confidentiality and other data security incidents are some of the major risks associated with social, behavioral, and educational research (SBER) with human subjects. Research that involves using protected health information regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) raises the stakes even more. The proliferation of data exchanged through cloud services, websites, and email has made it easier for accidents to occur and hackers to capture data. Federal and state laws have established harsh penalties for security failures and, indirectly, for poor responses to breaches.
The potential for data security incidents in research with human subjects requires institutional review boards (IRBs) to work closely with information security experts both to prevent these types of incidents and, if they do occur, to respond effectively to meet the strict reporting requirements. Regulators look closely at an institution’s response to data security incidents, including the quality of the analysis of the event and the institution’s efforts to mitigate further incidents.
IPS Training
CSUMB subscribes to the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training program. Any researcher affiliated with CSUMB may complete CITI Program training.
CITI training is recognized by both the CPHS (CSUMB's IRB), CSUMB's IACUC, and professionally for exceeding minimum standards of training in Information Privacy Security.
NOTE: Your certification will automatically be sent to the Sponsored Programs Office when you are finished. You may also log back into CITI at any time to re-print your certificate, add training in other areas we subscribe to (e.g.: Human Subjects Research, etc.), or add affiliation to another subscribing institution.
Train on CITI Program
Log into CITI Program Training: https://www.citiprogram.org/
Get help with CITI Program Training: https://support.citiprogram.org/s/
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Protecting Participant Privacy When Sharing Scientific Data
An important part of sharing scientific data is protecting the privacy of human participants who contributed to the data.
NIH’s scientific data sharing site now offers information and resources on the following topics:
- Principles and Best Practices for Protecting Participant Privacy
- Designating Scientific Data for Controlled Access
- Considerations for Obtaining Informed Consent
- Considerations for Researchers Working with American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities
For further information on working with human participants in research, please visit NIH’s Human Subjects Research page.