OPENING PARAGRAPH
Spinup Plus
Managed AWS Cloud Environment
This section describes SpinupPlus (fully managed by YBIC and Health Sciences IT) as the secure extension of Spinup, tailored for human subjects’ research involving sensitive data, including Protected Health Information (PHI). SpinupPlus adheres to stringent industry standards, including NIST 800-171 and HIPAA compliance.
The page will summarize the availability and rate structure.
Technical Specifications
Security & Compliance: NIST 800-171 + HIPAA
Compute Resources: AWS resources, GPU availability dependent on AWS
Storage: Configured per resource
Access Method: Yale University MFA + VPN
SpinupPlus is a fully-managed, secure computing environment controlled by the Yale Biomedical Informatics & Computing (YBIC) team and Health Sciences IT (HSIT). It is a private Yale cloud service based on Amazon Web Services (AWS) that provides a secure, scalable, and maintainable environment for researchers.
SpinupPlus is an extension of Yale’s standard Spinup service, but it is specifically designed to meet enhanced security standards. It is one of the new platforms launched to increase Yale’s highly secure research computing infrastructure.
It allows researchers to quickly launch secure, virtual servers and infrastructure for data analysis, web applications, and other research computing needs. Researchers are provided managed services for SpinupPlus, ensuring adherence to essential security and privacy policies.
——————————————————————————–
Compliance and Data Security
SpinupPlus is configured and operated to meet the highest standards of privacy, regulatory, compliance, and security controls.
Compliance Standards
SpinupPlus adheres to stringent information security industry standards:
• NIST 800-171 Compliance: SpinupPlus is fully compliant with the NIST 800-171 standard. This compliance outlines requirements for non-federal computer systems that store, process, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
• HIPAA Compliance: SpinupPlus adheres to HIPAA compliance and meets the rigorous standards required for research involving sensitive data, including data protected under HIPAA.
Supported Data Types
The environment is tailored for research involving sensitive or regulated data:
• Protected Health Information (PHI): SpinupPlus is designed for human subjects research that involves sensitive data, including PHI.
• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): The platform’s NIST 800-171 compliance supports projects involving the storage, processing, or transmission of CUI.
• YNHHS Data: SpinupPlus has been reviewed and approved by IT leadership at Yale and YNHHS. YNHHS has approved SpinupPlus for research use with YNHHS data, as it meets the requirements for research data under HIPAA. It will serve as an exclusive technology environment to securely deliver YNHHS health research datasets with an approved protocol.
——————————————————————————–
Technical Specifications and Hardware
SpinupPlus leverages the flexibility of cloud resources to provide scalable infrastructure.
Infrastructure
• Platform: Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-based computing platform.
• Functionality: Enables researchers to quickly launch secure, virtual servers and infrastructure.
——————————————————————————–
Access and Usage Policies
SpinupPlus is a managed service that ensures institutional compliance and scalability.
• Management Oversight: It is controlled by the YBIC team and Health Sciences IT.
• Access Information: Members of the Yale community interested in accessing these new systems are invited to visit the Yale Hosted Resources webpage to learn more.
——————————————————————————–
Rate Structure and Availability
• Availability: SpinupPlus is available for production use as of July 1, 2025. It is available for clinical researchers starting August 1, 2025.
• Cost: The platform will include pre-defined cost rates for usage. More information on provisional rates can be found on the Yale ITS Spinup pricing guide.