Securing Trustworthy Digital Repositories

Abstract

Security is critical to repository trustworthiness. Recent international standards for Trustworthy Digital Repositories (TDRs) all specify some sort of security criteria that are necessary to adhere to in order to attain TDR status. However, little is known about how those who are responsible for addressing these criteria actually regard the concept of security. This study centers on digital repository staff members’ perceptions of security, including their perceptions of security criteria in standards for TDRs. This paper discusses findings from surveys and semi-structured interviews with staff from repositories that have recently acquired the nestor seal of approval. We found that participants considered the principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability as relevant to their notions of security. We also found that participants considered the security criteria required to acquire the nestor seal of approval as both sufficient and appropriate for addressing their repositories’ needs. Implications for better understanding the security of digital repositories are discussed as well as directions for future research.