What am I asked to do as a participant in The PRIDE Study?
After enrolling, you will be asked to complete:
My Profile
Your demographic information (including sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, etc.), contact information, and family information
My Health
Your medical problems, surgical history, sexual/reproductive history, and medications
All information you provide is kept confidential. The unique number that identifies you is kept separate from the ‘My Profile’ and ‘My Health’ information you enter. Your ‘My Profile’ and ‘My Health’ information is shared only in aggregate form (data we present cannot specifically identify you).
In addition, we have several layers of security in place to protect your information:
Four levels of data security
1
Physical Level
We use Google Cloud Platform (GCP), the same cloud computing company that is used by many Fortune 500 companies and banks. GCP data centers are located in unmarked and generic-looking buildings that do not stand out from their surrounding buildings. The buildings use state-of-the-art systems to strictly control access and monitor for intruders. Additional security measures are used to prevent access to the server rooms.
2
Platform Level
All data transmitted from your web browser to our data center is encrypted (the signal is scrambled so it could not be interpreted by anyone who might try to intercept it). Additionally, the computers that we use for our data are digitally separated between other clients that use GCP. This means that other clients of GCP can’t access our data.
3
Database Level
In addition to encryption of data in transit, the database itself is encrypted on the server. This means that if someone were able to gain access to the server, they would not be able to read the information in the database.
4
Participant Level
In order to help keep your personal account secure, we have set minimum standards for the password that you create and use to lock your account. This helps prevent someone else from guessing your password and accessing your information by pretending to be you. Our minimum password standards require that your password be at least 8 characters long and contain either a number or a special character. Soon, we will be implementing two-factor authentication which you can opt to use for added security. This will allow you to increase the security of your account by having a text message code required when you login.