Soteria at the University of Arizona officially launches

The secure data and analysis enclave, Soteria, is now accessible to University of Arizona researchers. Soteria provides a protected data compliant environment for collaborative research, specifically for projects and datasets containing sensitive information such as personally identifiable information or protected health information. Datasets often contain identifiable information (names, addresses, patient IDs, etc.). De-identifying such data can be impractical. Soteria bridges this gap, as it is designed specifically for researchers entrusted with protected data or sensitive health information. 

When intricate or large-scale computational analysis is required, Soteria helps to streamline collaboration efforts. Work seamlessly with research teams, data providers and statisticians within the secure Soteria environment. Explore Soteria’s suite of web-based cutting edge tools, including Soteria HPC, External Data Transfer, Posit Connect Health and CyVerse Health.

Vikas Pal, a scientific analyst in the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson says, “I’ve been a user of Soteria for the past three months and it has significantly enhanced my ability to work with big data. I’ve put it to the test with datasets as large as approximately 700 million rows and it has consistently delivered smooth performance. There have been numerous instances where Soteria has completed tasks in less time than expected. This efficiency is commendable and has greatly improved my productivity. Soteria is a powerful tool for anyone working with big data. Keep up the excellent work!”

Get started with Soteria by completing the Soteria access request form and the required training modules available in Edge Learning using your valid UA NetID. The modules cover University Information Security Awareness, HIPAA Essentials and Insider Threat Awareness.  To qualify for Soteria access, the research must involve analyzing protected data like personally identifiable information or protected health information data.

Submission of a research proposal to use Soteria and its services are submitted via the Soteria website and reviewed by the Soteria Access & Governance Committee. The committee provides long-term management and oversight of Soteria with members that represent the Internal Review Board, HIPAA Privacy Office, University Information Technology Services and University of Arizona Health Sciences.

Join other UArizona researchers who use protected data as they collaborate using Soteria as their secure research enclave. For more information about Soteria and how it can work for you and your research, contact Nirav Merchant at RII-datascienceinstitute@arizona.edu.