Overview

Getting Started with Soteria

Soteria is a secure data and analysis enclave for conducting research with Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) data. To qualify for Soteria access, the research must involve analyzing PII or PHI data. Soteria allows researchers to efficiently perform data analysis and provide required visibility, logs, and metrics to institutional entities for meeting security and compliance requirements while facilitating collaboration among research teams with different skills no matter where they are based.

Access & Governance Committee

Access to Soteria resources and tools is not automatically granted. The Soteria Access & Governance Committee reviews each application request for access to determine eligibility. The committee reviews applications and grants access or requests additional information from the researcher.  The Soteria Access & Governance Committee is a standing committee with the purpose of providing long-term management and oversight of Soteria. The committee members represent the Internal Review Board, HIPAA Privacy Office, University Information Technology Services, and University of Arizona Health Sciences.

Access Requirements

To qualify for Soteria access, the research must involve analyzing PII or PHI data.  Prior to being provided with Soteria enclave access, UArizona researchers must complete the required training that is available in Edge Learning with a valid UA NetID:  University Information Security Awareness, HIPAA Essentials, and Insider Threat Awareness.  After completing the Soteria Request for Access form and being granted access, the researcher must connect to the UArizona Virtual Private Network (VPN) client to get started with the Soteria enclave resources and tools.

Resources and Tools

Soteria platform is comprised of multiple well known, cutting-edge web based tools: Soteria HPC, External Data Transfer, Posit Connect Health, and CyVerse Health.  Collectively, the resources and tools ensure that protected data remains secure through the lifecycle of interdisciplinary research projects in Soteria. The built-in research tools—some of which are developed at UArizona—are exclusively offered only to UArizona researchers making the platform uniquely customized for the research needs of the UArizona campus community.  All services and tools provided as part of Soteria are protected from the public internet and can only be accessed through a dedicated VPN connection. This allows researchers to work from anywhere using their own devices once they are granted access to the VPN.