SDC Practice in the Secure Access of the UK Data Service Reza AfkhamiUK Data Archive / UK Data Service

Joint UNECE/Eurostat work session on statistical data confidentiality-Ottawa, 2013

Agenda

• UK Data Service - overview

• Safety nets in User Journey

• Secure Access training

• Output checking Procedures

• Challenges

• Questions?

Introducing UK Data Service• Integration of

• the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS), • the Census Programme, • the Secure Data Service (SDS), • Survey Question Bank,• Other elements of the ESRC data service infrastructure

• Partnership includes the universities of:• Essex, Southampton, Manchester, Edinburgh, Leeds, UCL

• What does it offer?• A single point of access to all data resources• Download facility • Different access modalities• Collaboration with depositors/data owners • Advice, training and on-line materials• Data hosting and preservation services

UK Data Service

http://www.ukdataservice.ac.uk

The User Journey

Training

• Required for access• Face-to-face, small groups• E-Training due Spring 2013• 3 components:

• Using the SDS

• Safety and Responsibility

• Statistical Disclosure Control

Output checking Issues

• ESSnet Standards• Analytical outputs vs secondary datasets• Final vs Intermediate outputs• Manual checking• Cross-checking • Record keeping of all released outputs• Format vs Content in rejection rate• Context dependant output checking• Secondary disclosure in data structure• Transformation of unsafe outputs to safe

Context: when are data public?

Would this map be released if it showed

• bookshops on the ONS business register?

• majority non-white neighbourhoods?

• animal research laboratories on the business register?

• Some times we don’t know:• case-by-case basis

Hierarchical Data: secondary disclosureSIC Code Name Companies Turnover141 Motor vehicles 46 11,359

142 Other transport 97 2,171

       

1411 Cars & light vans 18 5,526

1412 Heavy goods vehicles 15 3,612

1413 Public service vehicles -- --

1414 Other motor vehicles 11 798

       

1421 Bicycles 14 634

1422 Sailing craft 65 1,205

1423 Other non-motor transport 18 332

2 bus companies with a turnover of 1,423

Challenges

• Joint collaboration with researcher• Hard and fast rules vs flexibility• Unpredictable results via complex techniques• How to get efficiency, transparency, security and

consistency?

Questions?