WellFort

WellFort

The WellFort project aims to research the basic mechanisms to

• provide secure storage for users’ sensitive data,
• deliver a trusted analysis environment for executing data analytics processes in a controlled privacy-preserving environment,
• combine data from different companies for analysis while respecting user privacy and consent given.

A novelty of this approach is that companies do not get direct access to data, but only in aggregated or anonymised form. In addition, they can benefit from a large group of individuals that are potentially willing to share their data for research.

Expected Outcome

Based on the project results, it will be possible to operate a trusted platform where companies can securely execute data analysis algorithms. A novelty of this approach is that companies do not get direct access to data, but only in aggregated or anonymised form. In addition, they can benefit from a large group of individuals that are potentially willing to share their data for research. Users on the other hand benefit from a privacy and security respecting platform for their data, and can contribute to research projects in a secure manner. Finally, scientific researchers have a detailed source of microdata, if data owners give consent to their research proposals.

Background

Today, data has become deeply ingrained in all phases and aspects of industrial and scientific research. The potential for new services based on data-driven research is growing fast, due to the high volume and granularity of personal data collected by individuals. However, small and medium-sized companies typically face challenges in acquiring and storing personal data. Moreover, security breaches have the potential to go beyond financial impact and ruin a company permanently. Without a strong background in IT and big budgets, providing a secure platform for data storage and analysis is often beyond their capabilities. As a consequence, companies often refrain from collecting data centrally. While this reduces the attack surface, it means losing on the potential of data analytics and thereby hinders innovative services and research.

Further Information

• The project is led by SBA Research.