Consequently, a safe, secure, and controlled environment is required to access and analyse these data.
I have previously accessed these via the UK Data america rcs data Service SecureLab environment from my office desktop (and more recently at home via my secure university VPN). While this has worked very effectively, this requires me to have a strong and consistent home internet connection and a comfortable and secure working environment.
According to the SafePod Network website, the SPN key objectives are to:
Significantly improve the quantity and diversity of public benefit research by providing researchers with equitable and secure access to data through the provision of a network of standardised safe settings (SafePods) across the UK;
Improve and held by data centres across the UK for public benefit research; and
Provide clear information and sign posting for researchers to be able to access data for public benefit research from all safe settings across the UK.
Being able to access datasets in the SafePod gave me the opportunity to work in a quiet and secure environment with excellent and reliable computing power. Having a big screen was also a huge improvement on my small home laptop screen!
In tomorrow’s post, I will share with you my experience of booking and use a SafePod.