Protect your scholarly work while working from home
Tips for securing your computer, network, and files, as well as resources for doing research remotely.
Your computer
- When possible, use a University-owned machine for your work. You are encouraged to bring your work computers home or connect to a machine remotely.
- If this isn't possible, make sure your home computer is adequately secured:
- Turn on full-disk encryption to prevent access to your files if your computer is lost or stolen
- Install an antivirus software
- Enable software auto-updates to protect from bugs or security issues (Windows, Mac, or Ipad/Iphone)
- Use a strong login password and create separate accounts for each user
- Follow the University policy for using a personal device
- Make sure family and friends do not use your work devices. They may accidentally delete information or infect your computer by accessing unsafe apps, games, or websites.
Your home internet network
- Turn on (WPA2) encryption for your wireless network, with a good passcode. This ensures communication between your computer and your wireless router is encrypted. It does not mean all Internet traffic is encrypted.
- Use the University VPN when working from University-supported servers or when transferring sensitive data.
Your data and files
- Make sure your information is backed up - this is the only way you can recover files if your computer breaks, is damaged, gets infected with malware/Ransomware, or you accidentally delete a file.
- The easiest way to ensure your files are backed up is to store them on systems that are automatically backed up. We recommend storing and working with files directly on your Home or Shared Drive, UMN Box, or UMN Google Drive to ensure they are protected (see table below). See the Storage Selection Tool to find and compare UMN storage options.
| Storage location | Retrieve a deleted file | Roll back an accidental change | Redundant backend storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home/Shared Drive (files.umn.edu) | ▲ | ▲ | ✓ |
| UMN Google Drive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| UMN Box | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Computer Hard Drive | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Storage location | In a browser | On your computer |
|---|---|---|
| Home/Shared Drive (files.umn.edu) | N/A | Map the drive |
| UMN Google Drive | Google Drive | Google File Stream |
| UMN Box | Box | Box Drive |
- If you store files directly on your computer (i.e., in your desktop or documents folders), your data IS NOT backed up by default. We recommend doing one of the following:
- If you are a faculty member using a university-owned computer, you are eligible for CrashPlan, which provides a backup of your computer. Contact [email protected] for more information.
- Use Google Backup & Sync to backup your computer (note that UMN Google Drive is going to be limited soon, likely to ~50GB, so this may not be appropriate if you have a large amount of data to be backed up)
- Use an automatic backup system, such as TimeMachine or Windows backup, with an external drive.
What do I do if my computer breaks?
University owned
- Contact 1-HELP at [email protected] or 612-301-4357
- CLA Loaner pool can provide temporary access to a device
Personal
- Contact 1-HELP at [email protected] or 612-301-4357
- University IT will help assess an issue with a personal computer and help configure them to access University resources
- However, University IT can not repair hardware or software issues on a personal computer and will refer you to an outside service for repair.
Doing your research remotely
Access software
- LATIS offers remote access to a variety of research software through Windows and Linux virtual desktops. Additionally, some licensed software is available to download directly on University computers.
- For specialized software on computers located on campus, you can contact technology help to set up remote access.
Collect data
- Collect human subjects data online using participant pools or crowdsourcing platforms
- Get support for mining data from the web and social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. We can help with tools like TAGS, FacePager, or API scripting in R or Python; as well as provide access to collegiate-hosted and -provided tools like NVivo’s NCapture, CrowdTangle and Social Feed Manager.
- Explore tools for developing and hosting experiments or surveys online
- Access existing data from IPUMS, the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the Data Repository for the University of Minnesota (DRUM), or find data repositories in your discipline.
Analyze data
- Attend a workshop to learn data analysis tools such as R, Python, and Nvivo.
- Sign up for a statistics consultation
Additional Resources
- University Training Course for securely working from home
- Canvas course includes modules for securing your network, avoiding cyber attacks, protecting kids online, and using strong passwords.
- SANS Five steps to securely work from home
- One page guide, available in several languages.
- OIT's guide to working and learning from home
- Resources for connecting to University technology at home.
- LATIS TEL's guide for teaching remotely
- Best practices, workshops, and tips for effective remote teaching.