Digital Preservation Advisory Unit

This hands-on workshop aims to introduce GLAM and digital preservation practitioners to key cybersecurity concepts, strategies, and tools for protecting digital assets.

In the past few decades, cybersecurity has become an essential component of cultural heritage practice. As institutions increasingly steward digital collections, and utilise digital systems for everyday operations, cybersecurity has become an important consideration. Threats such as ransomware, unauthorized access, accidental deletion, and file corruption pose significant risks to the long-term integrity, confidentiality, and availability of digital collections. GLAM professionals are often responsible for protective sensitive and irreplaceable materials. 

Participants will learn to identify common threats, apply protective measures using open-source tools, and respond effectively to incidents through preservation-aligned workflows. This workshop emphasises the role of GLAM professionals in preparing collections for security and communicating effectively with IT departments. The goal is not for participants to become “ethical hackers,” but rather to gain expertise that bridges archival and cybersecurity practice. 

Topics Covered

• Common cybersecurity threats to digital archival collections
• Core concepts of information security (confidentiality, integrity, availability) in a digital preservation context
• Fixity checking and integrity monitoring as tools for detecting corruption or tampering
• Encryption and decryption basics for protecting sensitive data and understanding ransomware
• Incident response fundamentals for archives: detection, containment, recovery, and documentation 

Workshop Activities 

• Conceptual Overview: Introduction to cybersecurity principles framed through digital preservation workflows
• Fixity Checking and Triage: Creating and verifying checksums, identifying integrity failures, and interpreting fixity reports
• Encryption and Decryption: Encrypting and decrypting collection materials using open-source tools, with discussion of key management and access control
• Incident Response Planning: Working through simulated cybersecurity scenarios to identify immediate actions, recovery strategies, and documentation needs 

Course Timing: 12pm-4:30pm GMT

Frequently Asked Questions 

Are there discounted places available? 

Yes, we are able to evaluate cases for discounted places, particularly for participants from Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries. Please email digitalpreservation@soton.ac.uk with a brief note on your situation and we will offer you a discounted ticket. 

Can I pay via invoice or purchase order? 

We ask that you please attempt to use the online store to issue payments wherever possible. If you do require an invoice, please send us an email at digitalpreservation@soton.ac.uk with plenty of advance so we can get the process started for you.

Payment using the Online Store can only be completed via Visa and Mastercard Credit/Debit Card or PayPal.  AMEX is not accepted.
If you have not previously created an account for the Online Store, you will need to create an account to make a payment.

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As the mediums in which digital media is produced and shared evolve rapidly, legacy media is becoming an increasingly pressing issue in cultural heritage institutions in terms of their long-term care. Most institutions hold large holdings of legacy media sitting in seldom-visited boxes and shelves, risking the potential loss of their contents.  

Designed for digital preservation professionals, archivists, librarians, and cultural heritage practitioners responsible for born-digital materials, this workshop introduces forensic imaging workflows. The workshop is based on live demonstrations on a professional forensic workstation as well as open-source software that will help participants become familiar with various interfaces, workflows, and troubleshooting steps.  

This course will take place 11:00-16:00 GMT on 26th February 2026. 

Payment using the Online Store can only be completed via Visa and Mastercard Credit/Debit Card or PayPal.   If you have not previously created an account for the Online Store, you will need to create an account to make a booking.  

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