Which measure best enhances confidentiality and data security when researching IPV survivors?

• A. Data encryption and secure storage
• B. Public posting of data
• C. Sharing identifiable data with third parties
• D. Collecting unnecessary data

Answer: (A)

Protecting participants' confidentiality and data security is essential when researching IPV survivors. Data encryption and secure storage is the strongest way to achieve this because it protects information both when it is stored and when it is moved or accessed, making it unreadable to anyone without proper authorization even if a breach occurs. Implementing encrypted databases or servers, strong authentication, access controls, and audit trails helps ensure that only approved researchers can view sensitive details, and it reduces the risk of exposing identities, locations, contact information, or insights into a survivor’s situation. This approach also supports ethical and legal requirements for safeguarding data, including minimizing who can access data and how long it is kept. In contrast, public posting creates immediate exposure, sharing identifiable data with third parties increases the chance of misuse, and collecting unnecessary data unnecessarily heightens risk without providing corresponding benefits. So, encryption and secure storage directly address the core need to keep sensitive information confidential and protected.