Data Security

Security of Web Application Files

Web application files contain the source code for the web application, manuscript metadata (esp. the XML-encoded scholarly manuscript descriptions), PDF files, databases, and server configuration files.

File security for all data is provided by GIT version control. Automatic backups are performed regularly.

Security of Digital Manuscripts 

The digital manuscript images on e-codices are saved in two different formats. The different formats, TIFF files and JPEG 2000 files, serve different purposes.

The TIFF files serve as the e-codices Master Files and are therefore archived and subject to regular validation.

The JPEG 2000 files have been produced for use on the internet.

All these image files are saved on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) at the University of Fribourg. The NAS offers the required level of security thanks to its high level of availability and distributed architecture. In addition, the NAS provides additional advantages, such as a short rebuild time of about 2-3 hours and the ability to rapidly restore earlier versions of the data.

Archiving and Validation of TIFF Files

For the archiving process we follow the 3-2-1 Rule for data security:

• We save three copies of the TIFF 
• on two separate media types (NAS and external hard drives),
• of which one copy is stored at an external location.

File validation is performed annually, in two stages: hard drive health checks and validations of the presence and the integrity of the files. Validation of file integrity is determined using a file validation hash-tag value, performed in this case with an MD5 algorithm.

The "Codices electronici Confoederations Helveticae" Curatorium requires an annual validation report, which must be evaluated and approved at its annual meeting.