The IMPaCT-Data project publicly presents the video demonstrating the use of passports and visas for access to protected data. This authentication and authorization method follows the protocols defined by the GA4GH (Global Alliance for Genomics and Health). This material was first shown to the project partners during the fourth general assembly that took place in December 2022.
In this second demonstration, the biomedical data computing cloud has a process for user access, including linking to institutional accounts, and using passports and visas to control access to protected data.
The video shows how a user connects to a tool hosted in the node of the Murcian Institute of Biosanitary Research (IMIB, Murcia), which is part of the federated infrastructure. Initially, this user does not have access to any datasets. Once the corresponding visa is generated by the IMIB node administrator, the user has access to the dataset that determines that visa and no other. In the video he is also shown as a different user, by entering the same tool he has access to a different set of data. This is because this second user has permission to access other data.
In future iterations, access to integrated data from genomic studies, electronic medical records and medical images will be developed within the federated cloud.
The development of IMPaCT-Data’s federated cloud falls under work package 2, dedicated to infrastructure. This development is coordinated by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center – National Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS, Barcelona), with the participation of the Carlos III National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CSIC, Madrid), the Murcian Institute for Biosanitary Research (IMIB, Murcia) and Navarra for Services and Technologies (NASERTIC, Navarra) as part of Navarrabiomed (Center for Biomedical Research – Miguel Servet Foundation).
GA4GH is the international standards organization of the Global Alliance for Genomic and Health. GA4GH passports, which include visas, are used for the automation of access to controlled data.