Find secure computing and storage options for regulated research data

The HMS Longwood Area Secure Environment for Research (LASER) helps HMS researchers match regulated biomedical research projects with secure computing and storage environments. LASER services support projects with federal, contractual, privacy, or data-use requirements. These requirements can include NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, FISMA Moderate, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data.

LASER-regulated data platforms and services cover a wide range of security, compliance, and computational needs. The end-to-end service model helps research teams move from project intake and environment fit assessment through onboarding, secure operations, compliance support, change management, and ongoing lifecycle planning. This model is designed to reduce friction for researchers while strengthening institutional oversight, consistency, and resilience.  

The most suitable LASER platform for each research project depends on the specific project requirements. A completed and approved Data Safety Submission will indicate the platform required for the project. Researchers who are uncertain whether their research project requires the use of LASER should contact Data_ORA@hms.harvard.edu. For technical questions and platform support, contact HMS IT at LASER_Help@hms.harvard.edu.

Request guidance on LASER services

Eligibility

Use LASER for projects with regulated data or security needs.
Security Data

LASER services are available to Quad-based principal investigators and authorized research teams, subject to their data use agreements and project requirements.

Projects can use LASER when they must meet funding, security, or data use requirements for regulated research data. These requirements can include CUI, CMS data, government-owned data, Protected Health Information (PHI), data received from industry partners, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, or FISMA Moderate.

Platforms and security

Compare LASER platforms.
Research Compliance

LASER includes several secure computing and storage platforms:

  • LASER-53–Secure cloud computing environment for regulated research work that requires a cloud platform that follows NIST 800-53 and FISMA Moderate.
  • LASER-171 – On-campus secure computing environment for NIST 800-171, CUI, and CMS-related projects that cannot be hosted in the cloud or are not approved for cloud hosting.
  • LASER-180 Longwood servers – Department of Health Care Policy servers for large-memory research work that does not fit a traditional shared HPC model.
  • Longwood-L4 –On-premises high-performance computing resources for computationally intensive Harvard Data Safety Level 4 research workloads. 
  • LASER-CMS –On-premises storage and analysis environment for CMS data.
  • HMS Azure Cloud for AI and compute – Azure cloud services for mixed AI and compute needs, secured up to Level 4.
  • Azure Blob Storage through GCC High – Secure cloud storage for projects that need NIST 800-171 storage controls.

Service rates

Rates vary by environment and project scope.
Rates Cost

Pricing depends on the LASER environment required for the needs of the research project.