The GeoMarker data access system is housed in the Universiy of Minnesota Academic Health Center's Secure Data Enclave, which is designed to meet University standards regarding HIPAA compliance. GeoMarker uploads data from a user's browser to the Secure Data Enclave using the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) protocol. This protocol encrypts all communication between the user's browser and GeoMarker.
If the user uploads a CSV file containing latitude and longitude coordinates, GeoMarker does all processing within the Secure Data Enclave. If the users uploads a CSV containing addresses, GeoMarker transmits each address to the Texas A&M GeoServices geocoding platform using the HTTPS protocol. The Texas A&M geocoding platform is also housed in a secure environment. The Texas A&M geocoder returns the request using HTTPS, and GeoMarker finishes processing the data within the Enclave.
GeoMarker retains data extracts for 14 days, allowing users time to download their extracts from the system. After 14 days, GeoMarker deletes extracts and and database tables created during extract processing using an automated process.
If you need more details about GeoMarker's data security procedures, please contact us at geomarker@umn.edu.