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Why should researchers use TRE?

Universities and the research data they hold are seen as easy, valuable targets for cyber criminals, including malicious individuals and Nation-State attackers. There is a requirement for research data to be saved, stored and analysed in a secure environment. In some instances, a Cyber Essentials (CE) certificate is required to evidence that the environment is compliant with cyber security requirements

Overall, there are many benefits to analysing data in a CE accredited environment, some key advantages are:

  • It's safer: CE accredited environments reduce the threat of cyber crime and align with The Cyber Strategy published in 2022 by the UK Government.
  • It's a requirement: the UK and Welsh government, as well as the Research Funding Councils increasingly require researchers to work in a Cyber Essentials accredited environment, which protects research data and reduces the threat of cyber crime.
  • It's good practiceUniversities UK (UUK) guidance, encourages universities to operate secure computing environments for projects that produce or handle security sensitive research materials.