{"id":2318,"date":"2025-01-30T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T00:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/?p=2318"},"modified":"2025-01-25T16:57:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T06:57:15","slug":"data-security-backups-heres-what-to-include-in-your-bep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2025\/01\/30\/data-security-backups-heres-what-to-include-in-your-bep\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Security & Backups. Here\u2019s What to Include in Your BEP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When working in a Common Data Environment (CDE) hosted in the cloud, it\u2019s easy to assume that data is automatically backed up. After all, the vendor running the platform has redundancies in place, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reality: While cloud-based CDE providers may have their own backup processes, these are not intended for end-user recovery. If something is accidentally deleted, overwritten, or lost due to human error, you may not have a way to restore it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post covers what you need to know about security, access control, and backups when working in a cloud-based CDE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should Be Included in Your BEP or Digital Execution Plan?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If your client asks about data security and backups, your focus should be on:
\u2705 Access control & authentication
\u2705 Data governance within the project
\u2705 Versioning & archiving strategies<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1\ufe0f\u20e3 Organisational-Level Access Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Security within a cloud-based CDE starts with how users are authenticated and granted access to project data. If your company is using an enterprise-level security model, key controls should include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd10 Single Sign-On (SSO)<\/strong> \u2013 Centralised authentication for internal users.
\ud83d\udcf2 Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)<\/strong> \u2013 How frequently do your users need to re-authenticate using 2FA? Is it enabled at all?
\ud83c\udf0d External Party Access<\/strong> \u2013 If you’re hosting the project, does your organisation enforce 2FA for external collaborators?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These security layers ensure that only authorised personnel can access and manage project data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2\ufe0f\u20e3 Project-Level Data Governance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond high-level security, your BEP should define how access is managed at the project level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access Request Process<\/strong> \u2013 How are users granted access to the project?
Access Control Ownership<\/strong> \u2013 Who is responsible for approving and managing access?
User Groups & Permissions<\/strong> \u2013 Define access levels (e.g., view-only, editor, admin).
Data-Sharing Protocols<\/strong> \u2013 Outline how models and files are shared externally.
Versioning Strategy<\/strong> \u2013 Ensure data integrity by leveraging the CDE\u2019s file versioning system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca1 Why This Matters:<\/strong>
Without clear governance, projects can run into data security risks, unauthorised access, and versioning conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3\ufe0f\u20e3 What About Backups?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most cloud-based CDEs rely on file versioning, which allows users to revert to previous file states. However, this is not a full backup solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udcc1 What you need to understand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Cloud vendors maintain internal backups, but these are meant for disaster recovery (e.g., system failure, infrastructure issues)\u2014not for user-level restoration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • If data is deleted or corrupted due to human error, those backups are not typically accessible to end users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • CDE versioning may have limits (e.g., only storing the last X versions of a file).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udccc If long-term data retention is a concern, you need an external archiving strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4\ufe0f\u20e3 How to Handle Long-Term Retention & Archiving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you need guaranteed access to historical data, consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2705 Scheduled Exports<\/strong> \u2013 Regularly export key project files to a secure, external storage location.
    \u2705 Automated Backups<\/strong> \u2013 Use scripts or workflows to periodically back up critical data.
    \u2705 Data Retention Policies<\/strong> \u2013 Define how long different data types should be kept outside of the CDE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t Assume Your CDE Has You Covered<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Just because your cloud-based CDE provider has backups doesn\u2019t mean your data is safe. Those backups are for the vendor\u2014not for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To ensure data integrity and security, your project should:
    \u2705 Define access control policies at both the organisational and project level.
    \u2705 Implement a structured versioning strategy to prevent data loss.
    \u2705 Establish an external archiving plan for long-term retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By addressing these points proactively, you can avoid data loss, security risks, and compliance issues, and ensure your team and clients have confidence in your digital workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How does your team handle data retention in cloud-based CDEs? Drop a comment and let\u2019s discuss!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When working in a Common Data Environment (CDE) hosted in the cloud, it\u2019s easy to assume that data is automatically backed up. After all, the vendor running the platform has redundancies in place, right? The reality: While cloud-based CDE providers may have their own backup processes, these are not intended for end-user recovery. If something is accidentally deleted, overwritten, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Cloud-based CDEs don\u2019t back up data for user recovery\u2014only for vendor disaster recovery. Here\u2019s how to handle security, access control, and long-term retention.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Think your cloud-based CDE is backing up your project data? Not for you, it isn\u2019t. Cloud vendors have backups\u2014but they\u2019re for disaster recovery, not user restoration. Here\u2019s how to handle data retention properly. #BIM #DataSecurity #CDE","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1261,"url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2023\/09\/21\/navigating-the-maze-information-management-in-the-common-data-environment\/","url_meta":{"origin":2318,"position":0},"title":"Navigating the Maze: Information Management in the Common Data Environment","author":"Ryan Lenihan","date":"21 September 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, I'd like to share a portion of a recent conversation that came to me through the week. It's a real-world scenario that many of us in the AEC industry might find familiar, revolving around the challenges of managing files in a common data environment (CDE). Part 1 - WIP\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital"","block_context":{"text":"Digital","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/category\/digital\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Picture1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2224,"url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2024\/11\/21\/automating-project-requirements-analysis-for-faster-bim-planning\/","url_meta":{"origin":2318,"position":1},"title":"Automating Project Requirements Analysis for Faster BIM Planning","author":"Ryan Lenihan","date":"21 November 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As architects, engineers, and construction professionals, we all know how critical it is to manage project requirements efficiently to ensure we develop comprehensive BIM Execution plans for our projects. Artificial intelligence, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), can now help streamline the traditionally manual and time-consuming process of analyzing these requirements.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital"","block_context":{"text":"Digital","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/category\/digital\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Business women creating a plan in coworking space","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/business-women-creating-a-plan-in-coworking-space.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/business-women-creating-a-plan-in-coworking-space.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/business-women-creating-a-plan-in-coworking-space.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/business-women-creating-a-plan-in-coworking-space.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/business-women-creating-a-plan-in-coworking-space.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/business-women-creating-a-plan-in-coworking-space.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2618,"url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/photos-arent-the-problem-memory-is\/","url_meta":{"origin":2318,"position":2},"title":"Photos Aren\u2019t the Problem. Memory Is.","author":"Ryan Lenihan","date":"1 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"TL:DR+ Site photos fail because they lose location, context, and history. Engineers need to track condition and remediation over time, not rediscover issues. This workflow anchors photos spatially inside Revit using EXIF GPS and constrained AI descriptions. The AI describes only what\u2019s visible \u2014 no inference, diagnosis, or assessment. Accuracy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital"","block_context":{"text":"Digital","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/category\/digital\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wooden-puzzle-of-red-brain-with-green-piece-conce-2026-01-08-00-27-15-utc.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wooden-puzzle-of-red-brain-with-green-piece-conce-2026-01-08-00-27-15-utc.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wooden-puzzle-of-red-brain-with-green-piece-conce-2026-01-08-00-27-15-utc.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wooden-puzzle-of-red-brain-with-green-piece-conce-2026-01-08-00-27-15-utc.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2080,"url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2024\/07\/04\/digital-twins-and-client-collaboration-getting-it-right\/","url_meta":{"origin":2318,"position":3},"title":"Digital Twins and Client Collaboration \u2013 Getting It Right","author":"Ryan Lenihan","date":"4 July 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Just like Crocs or Carhartt, digital twins are all the rage right now, offering a new way to simulate, monitor, and optimise physical assets. But here's the catch: not every client needs\u2014or even wants\u2014a digital twin. There's a lot of buzz around digital twins, but the key is to align\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital"","block_context":{"text":"Digital","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/category\/digital\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hospital.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hospital.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hospital.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hospital.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hospital.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/hospital.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2371,"url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2025\/03\/27\/fixing-the-failed-to-open-document-error-in-cloud-hosted-revit-models\/","url_meta":{"origin":2318,"position":4},"title":"Fixing the “Failed to Open Document” Error in Cloud-Hosted Revit Models","author":"Ryan Lenihan","date":"27 March 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Having trouble opening cloud-hosted #Revit models? If you're getting the \"Failed to open document\" error, there's a simple fix that can save you hours of troubleshooting. \ud83d\udee0\ufe0f The issue often happens when transferring files via #DesktopConnector\u2014Revit models appear as .rvt but are actually .zip files. \u2705 Solution: Rename, extract, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital"","block_context":{"text":"Digital","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/category\/digital\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Upset stressed African American man negative emotion fail business project with laptop desperate","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/upset-stressed-african-american-man-negative-emotion-fail-business-project-with-laptop-desperate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/upset-stressed-african-american-man-negative-emotion-fail-business-project-with-laptop-desperate.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/upset-stressed-african-american-man-negative-emotion-fail-business-project-with-laptop-desperate.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/upset-stressed-african-american-man-negative-emotion-fail-business-project-with-laptop-desperate.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/upset-stressed-african-american-man-negative-emotion-fail-business-project-with-laptop-desperate.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/upset-stressed-african-american-man-negative-emotion-fail-business-project-with-laptop-desperate.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2572,"url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/2026\/03\/12\/revit-cloud-model-upgrades-part-2-diagnosing-common-upgrade-errors-and-root-causes\/","url_meta":{"origin":2318,"position":5},"title":"Revit Cloud Model Upgrades Part 2 \u2013 Diagnosing Common Upgrade Errors and Root Causes","author":"Ryan Lenihan","date":"12 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Upgrading a Revit model isn\u2019t just a file conversion, it\u2019s a forced rebuild of geometry, constraints, joins, and parametric logic. And when that rebuild fails, the cause is rarely the upgrade itself. More often, it\u2019s exposing instability that was already baked into the model. As discussed in Revit Cloud Model\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital"","block_context":{"text":"Digital","link":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/category\/digital\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/modern-architectural-structure_sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/modern-architectural-structure_sm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/modern-architectural-structure_sm.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/modern-architectural-structure_sm.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/modern-architectural-structure_sm.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/modern-architectural-structure_sm.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/single-cloud-on-a-light-blue-background-.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2318"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2321,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318\/revisions\/2321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalbbq.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}