Purpose

Whether you are moving data within your team, or to colleagues externally, you want to ensure that the data cannot be read or altered along the way. Data being moved from one system to another is referred to as being “in transit” and you likely already use protocols to manage this.

Audience

On this page

Initial considerations

Encrypt your data and/or devices.

• Encrypting your data provides an extra layer of protection for your data while it is in transit.

  • Encrypt data and devices

Digital Research Infrastructure

• If you are using institutional systems to store and process your research data, they might already support secure collaboration or sharing.

  • https://www.cris.utoronto.ca/data-storage-finder/

Use of encrypted protocols to send your data.

• Are you already using secure methods of sending your data?

  • Commonly use protocols such as HTTPS, SFTP, FTPS, SSL, TLS, SCP, etc. provide encryption in transit. 

    • Contact your local IT Group about data transferring options.

      • https://handbook.security.utoronto.ca/wiki/spaces/ISH/pages/4948958/Contact+us#Information-Technology-(IT)

What can I do?

UTsend

• UTsend is the University’s recommended secure file transfer system for internal and external sharing of any kind of data, including Level 4 data and up to 1GB in size.

  • UTsend: U of T's Secure File Transfer System

SharePoint or OneDrive

Sharing

• https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/share-sharepoint-files-or-folders-1fe37332-0f9a-4719-970e-d2578da4941c

  • Sharing via an external link through SharePoint/OneDrive is encrypted in transit (via HTTPS [TLS 1.2]).

Receiving

• https://uoft.service-now.com/utm_iits?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0013886

  • Requesting a file through SharePoint/OneDrive is encrypted in transit (via HTTPS [TLS 1.2]).

Email

• If you are using Microsoft Outlook, you are able to send an encrypted message through the application to individuals inside or outside of the University.

  • https://uthrprod.service-now.com/infocomm?id=kb_article&sys_id=4e66ee651be8d5d0013742eddc4bcbe4

• If you are using another email client and/or are unsure if your email is encrypted, you can encrypt the files before sending.

  • Encrypt data and devices

Research data repositories

• If you are looking to deposit your non-active research data for the purposes of sharing, discovery, and reuse, the University of Toronto Libraries can assist you in selecting a suitable location.

  • https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/researchdata/data-repositories