HPC DPIA Framework
Translating Compliance into Compute: Specialized Impact Assessment for Research Workloads.
Bridging the Compliance-Research Gap
Standard Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) forms often confuse researchers with generic business questions. Our HPC-tailored template translates legal requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, ITAR) into specific technical questions about job schedulers, storage subsystems, and scratch data handling.
Understanding the Data Lifecycle
Our framework tracks data from high-assurance ingest (Globus) through high-speed scratch (Lustre) to encrypted archival.
HPC DPIA Technical Domains
1. Ingest & Transfer Protocols
We evaluate how sensitive data enters the "Secure Enclave." We prioritize encrypted, managed transfers like Globus High Assurance over standard SCP/SFTP to ensure integrity and auditability.
2. Storage Subsystem Residency
Distinguishing between Project Home (Persistent/Backed-up) and Parallel Scratch (Ephemeral/Not backed-up). We audit auto-purge policies to prevent long-term data exposure on unencrypted tiers.
3. Compute Isolation & Node Sharing
For high-risk HIPAA/ITAR jobs, we enforce Exclusive Mode. This prevents side-channel attacks by ensuring no other user shares the CPU or RAM on the active compute node.
4. Epilog Cleanup (Technical Mitigation)
We audit how applications handle temporary files (/tmp, /dev/shm). Our standard mitigation involves configured Scheduler Epilog Scripts that force-wipe local disks immediately after job completion.
HPC-Specific Risk Matrix
| Risk Scenario | Likelihood | Impact | Technical Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Remanence | Medium | High | Automated Slurm Epilog scripts to wipe local scratch; secure deletion on RAID controllers. |
| Container Breakout | Low | High | Use Apptainer in non-suid mode; strictly enforced kernel patching cycles. |
| Unauthorized Export | Medium | High | ACL-restricted writing to public folders; outbound internet blocking on secure partitions. |
DPIA & Compliance Toolkit
| Category | Tool | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Secure Ingest | Globus High Assurance | Managed file transfer for HIPAA/PHI data with full audit logging. |
| Isolation | Apptainer (Singularity) | Executing research code in user-space without root daemon risks. |
| Orchestration | Slurm Scheduler | Enforcing 'Exclusive Node' access and 'Prolog/Epilog' cleanup scripts. |
Get Compliant for Your Next Grant
Download our comprehensive "HPC & Research DPIA Template" to simplify your next ethics or security review.
Download DPIA Template (.docx)