Keep data behind the firewall

How to use TransparentChoice when handling sensitive information

Typical problem

“I love the ease of use of your online software, but IT will never go for it. They simply won't allow us to send sensitive data to any external servers”

Before we start…

In this presentation, we will show you the general concept for using TransparentChoice without any of your sensitive data leaving your premises.

If you have any further questions schedule a demo or email us contact@transparentchoice.com

Solution in a nutshell… (1/3)What can you learn about a decision from this screen?

Nothing. There’s no sensitive information here at all.

Solution in a nutshell… (2/3)What can you learn about a decision from this screen?

You can’t tell what the decision is about or what the alternatives or criteria are.

Solution in a nutshell… (3/3)The real names of projects, criteria and evaluators are in a spreadsheet file that you keep inside your firewall and share only with your team.

Without the spreadsheet any data that we store is totally missing from the point of view of any third party.

Your sensitive data never leaves your

team.

Inside your firewall

Outside your firewall

Your team has a spreadsheet file that is needed to read information stored in TransparentChoice.

TransparentChoice works with encrypted data which can’t be read (doesn’t make sense) without your spreadsheet.

How it works

1. Decide which data you need to encrypt.2. Create your spreadsheet and encrypt (as needed):• alternatives,• criteria,• evaluators.

3. Perform evaluation on TransparentChoice.4. Export results and decrypt (on your computer).

Decide which data to encrypt

• The key data elements in TransparentChoice are– Alternatives– Criteria– Project participants / evaluators

• You don’t always have to encrypt all of these, so decide which ones make sense for you

Create your spreadsheet

• The basic idea is to only put encrypted (generic) names into TransparentChoice. For example instead of potential vendors IBM, Oracle and Microsoft, you would put in Vendor 1, Vendor 2 and Vendor 3.

• To get started create a new spreadsheet and create tabs for alternatives, criteria and evaluators (as needed)

Encrypt alternatives

On the Alternatives tab, create a table like the one below.

The “encrypted project name” is the one you will use in TransparentChoice.

Encrypt criteria

On the Criteria tab, create a table like the one below. The “encrypted criterion name” is the one you will use in TransparentChoice.

Encrypt evaluators

On the Evaluator tab, create a table like the one below.

The “encrypted evaluator name” is the one you will use in TransparentChoice.

Invite evaluators (emails not required)

• TransparentChoice doesn’t need the e-mail addresses of your evaluators. By clicking the “Copy evaluation links” button, you can get a dedicated link for each evaluator that will take them directly into their survey.

• E-mail each evaluator their dedicated link to start the evaluation process. Attach your spreadsheet and recommend they print it off to make it easier to refer to when filling in their survey.

When you get the results…(export and decrypt)

Encrypted resultsProject 6 has the highest score. Criterion C2 is the most important…

Encrypted results don't make sense without real names of criteria and alternatives.

Export & decryptWhen you’re ready to present your results, export them to a spreadsheet file.

Then replace encrypted names with real ones and prepare “decrypted” charts in a spreadsheet.

Schedule a demo to see how to create charts based on exported results.

And what would the bad guys see?

Let’s pretend someone managed to hack into Microsoft’s Azure data centre and steal your data. What would they see?

Nothing useful at all.

Job done.

But remember, in most cases…

You won’t need to encrypt everything. Very often this is enough to encrypt alternatives. Sometimes there is no encryption needed at all.

What is next

• Sign up for a free trial and test it by yourself• Schedule a demo and let us show you the whole process• Feel free to share this presentation with your IT• Other options: MakeItRational Desktop