Data Incident Management

Data incidents are events involving the management of data that have caused harm or have the potential to cause harm. As more data and a greater variety of information systems are used in humanitarian response, there is an increased risk of data incidents occurring in humanitarian contexts.

Humanitarians have not had a common understanding of what comprises a data incident, nor is there a minimum technical standard for how these incidents should be prevented and managed. Without a shared language and clear approach to data incident management, humanitarian organisations risk exacerbating existing vulnerabilities as well as creating new ones, which can lead to adverse effects for affected people and aid workers.

In collaboration with the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs at Yale University, the Centre for Humanitarian Data has developed a Guidance Note on Data Incident Management to help address these gaps in understanding and practice.