Data Storage Guidance for Staff

Why is Where I Store My Data Important?

There are two main reasons why the location of storing your data is important: Data Privacy and Data Backup

Data Privacy

Different data storage locations (such as Google Drive, the Z drive) have different levels of privacy that govern the data stored in them. It is important that the data is stored in the most applicable location for the type of data. For example, any data that contains identifying patient information has not been approved for storage in Google Drive.

Data Backup

In order to ensure that your data is not lost in the event of theft / loss or a hardware failure, it is important to store data in a location that has automatic backups. If the hardware fails and your data is not backed up, that data will likely be lost and any attempts to recover the data will be costly and time consuming.

Where to Store My Data

Patient Data

Any files containing patient data must be stored on the Z Drive or on an encrypted hard drive. The latter can include your computer or an external hard drive but it is strongly recommended to keep a backup of these files as the data will likely not be recoverable in the event of a hardware failure. Any files stored on the Z drive are regularly backed up by IST

Teaching Material

Audio and video files (such as recorded lectures) should be stored on Yuja. All instructors should have 150GB of storage for storing this kind of material.
Files that do not require external collaboration and concurrent editing should be stored in the Z drive. If you do not have a folder under Z:/User, please contact Dentistry IT Support and one can be created for you.
For files that do need external collaboration or concurrent editing, store them in Google Drive. Reminder that any files not in a Shared Google Drive will count towards your U of A Storage Limit so the use of Shared Drives is recommended

Administrative Work

Files that do not require external collaboration and concurrent editing should be stored in the Z drive. If there is not an applicable folder under Group for it's storage, store it in your User folder. For any staff without a folder under Z:/User, please contact Dentistry IT Support and one can be created for you.
For files that do need external collaboration or concurrent editing, store them in Google Drive. Reminder that any files not in a Shared Google Drive will count towards your U of A Storage Limit so the use of Shared Drives is recommended

Research Records and Data

Files that do not require external collaboration and concurrent editing are best stored in the Research Data Storage Service (RDSS). Up to 50TB of storage can be requested per Principal Investigator or Research Group at no charge. Students and Staff can be added directly to the service and only need their CCID to authenticate. VPN usage will be required for off campus access. Please contact IST if you would like to have an RDSS drive set up.
For files that do need external collaboration or concurrent editing, store them in Google Drive. Reminder that any files not in a Shared Google Drive will count towards your U of A Storage Limit so the use of Shared Drives is recommended
For completed or inactive projects, do not keep them stored in Google Drive. Use Google Takeout to download any files and store them in either of the two options above

What about Storing Files Directly on my Computer?

It is strongly recommended not to store files directly on your computer. Files stored on your computer are only accessible on your computer and in the event of theft / loss or a hardware failure, those files will likely be lost. All of the above solutions are backed up regularly and would not be affected under either of these situations.

If you are going to store files directly on your computer, the following extra steps are greatly encouraged:

Encrypt your computer: This is mandatory if you will be storing patient records on your computer but is recommended even if you are not. By encrypting your computer, you are ensuring that all data on it is protected and will not be accessible if the device is lost or stolen.
Set up backups: Using an External Hard Drive and Windows Backup or Mac Time Machine, set your computer to backup regularly to the external drive. Then, if your device fails or is lost / stolen, you will only lose data since your last backup as opposed to losing everything with no backups. Make sure the External Hard Drive is encrypted if applicable.

For computers without backups that experience a hardware failure, the data will likely not be recoverable. Any computers purchased through IST will then need to work with them to go through a third party data recovery service. This process will take months and can be quite costly (which includes a non-refundable consulting fee to see if the data can even be recovered). You will not be able to use the computer during this time as it will be sent to the recovery service. Avoid the time and cost of a data recovery service and store in one of the recommended locations above!