Statistics Canada’s Real Time Remote Access Solution 2011 MSIS Meeting – Karen Doherty May 2011

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 2 Background  Access to, and analysis of, StatCan data is fundamental to the fulfilment of our mandate.  Traditionally provided access through: Aggregate data posted on the Agency’s website; Public use microdata files (PUMFs); and Special and customizations of aggregate data.  Currently 20 Research Data Centres (located in universities) provide access to confidential microdata files to researchers across the country

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 3 Background  StatCan is facing increasing demands for greater access to detailed microdata  Advances in IT offer opportunities for producing, disseminating, mining analysing data  Researchers are frustrated with the impediments to data access imposed by StatCan

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 4 RTRA – The Business Solution  An on-line remote access facility that allows researchers to run data analyses on microdata sets  Data sets are stored in a central and secure location under the control and care of StatCan

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 5 Data Access Strategy

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 6 Development of a Working System  Phase 1 – completed 2009 Identification of business requirements focusing on components such as security, legal, and functionality  Phase 2 – completed 2010 Pilot version – limited number of researchers and restrictions on types of requests allowed and level of details provided  Phase 3 – first production version – 2011 Functionality will be expanded incrementally in order to evaluate security measures and mitigate risks

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 7 Solution Approach  Examined lessons learned from other NSIs  Determined key requirements of the model  Adopted a model similar to the ABS model  Built on existing e-File Transfer (e-FT) facility to securely transfer files across the “air gap”  Security issues addressed via 4 four control points: Secure dataset housing Secure transit of datasets Registered Users validation Confidentiality rules for output  Right balance of risk versus security

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 8 How RTRA Works Researcher submits SAS program Request passes through firewalls to secure server Upon vetting, tables are returned to researcher in specified format If request does not comply submission will not be run and the log will be returned for adjustment All submissions are monitored and logged and logs are kept for auditing purposes

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 9 How RTRA Works  Pre-Scan of requests: Limits access to data files Ensures that the programming guidelines have been followed Uses automated SAS process to control output  Post-Scan of outputs: Applies a controlled rounding algorithm to output tables Limits each submission to 10 tables Limits each researcher to 10 successful program submission per day Supports two formats for output (.sas7dbat and HTML)

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 10 Methodological Challenge  No absolute criterion for defining confidential data, however in terms of disclosure control, StatCan applies risk management practises to safeguard the confidentiality of microdata  Developed specific rules: Slightly masked microdata files Automatic disclosure rules for tabular outputs Pre-scan for inputs Post-scan for the outputs  Strategy involves trade-offs of the four potential methodologies, any decision involves managing risk and consideration of levels of security

Architecture of RTRA – Design Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 11 Technologies File Transfer – e-FT Services (COTS) Workflow Components - SAS User Authentication – SAS and StatCan Customer Relations Management System (CRMS) Archive – Folder Data Views – SAS Automated Workflow – SAS Sniffer Post-Scan – StatCan rounding tool RNDII.exe

User Interface Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 12 User creates a request

User Interface Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 13 User logs onto RTRA from StatCan website

User Interface Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 14 User submits the request Resulting data to be delivered to an external FTP server via StatCan e-FT system

Future Direction  Adjust service based on client feedback for requirements and to tap into wider audience of academics and the private sector  Bring the solution in-sync with new WAN infrastructure used by Research Data Centres  Increase availability of additional cross-sectional surveys to researchers  Develop vetting procedures for longitudinal surveys and administrative data Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 15

2011 Work Plan  Quality indicators for frequency indicators – June 2011  Means, medians, percentiles, ratios and proportions – August 2011  Investigate support for other programming languages such as SPSS – on-going  Add Census information – November 2011  Work with Generalized Tabulation System (G-Tab) development team to see if G-Tab can automated confidentiality by types of output – beginning in Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 16

Statistics Canada Statistique Canada 17 Conclusion  Starting to gain traction among Government of Canada researchers.  As the system evolves Statistics Canada believes this tool will become a key component of the toolset available to researchers such as: policy researchers in government departments and agencies (federal, provincial, or municipal) academic researchers in Canadian universities any other researcher who agrees to the RTRA terms and conditions of use