Making the digital world
more reliable
Trusted event
On July 8, 2010 a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between three groups which are working on standards for Trusted Digital Repositories being David Giaretta in capacity as Chair of the CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems)/ISO Repository Audit and Certification Working Group (RAC), Henk Harmsen in his capacity of Chair of the Data Seal of Approval (DSA) Board and Christian Keitel in his capacity as Chair of the DIN Working Group “Trusted Archives - Certifiaction”.
Trusted repositories
The parties to this Memorandum of Understanding all lead separate groups aiming at certifying digital repositories. They wish to put in place mechanisms to ensure that the groups can collaborate in setting up an integrated framework for auditing and certifying digital repositories.
The framework will consist of a sequence of three levels, in increasing trustworthiness:
-
Basic Certification is granted to repositories which obtain DSA certification; -
Extended Certification is granted to Basic Certification repositories which in addition perform a structured, externally reviewed and publicly available self-audit based on ISO 16363 or DIN 31644;
-
Formal Certification is granted to repositories which in addition to Basic Certification obtain full external audit and certification based on ISO 16363 or equivalent DIN 31644.
Granting of these certificates will allow repositories to show one of three symbols (to be agreed) on their web pages and other documentation, in addition to any other DSA, DIN or ISO certification marks.
The MoU was signed as part of a series of EC sponsored initiatives on the audit and certification of trusted digital repositories,
The EC have been hugely supportive of this initiative and will be examining the results of at least three trial audits against the DSA and the DIN/ISO standards early 2011.
European Framework for Audit and Certification of Digital Repositories