Level 4 server

All outputs from OpenSAFELY pipelines are subject to tiered levels of scrutiny, to provide assurance that identifiable data is not leaked accidentally, or maliciously.

The final tier is review of so-called "Level 4" outputs, where the OpenSAFELY framework stores outputs labelled as moderately_sensitive in the project.yaml file.

If you have Level 4 access you can use Airlock to review your aggregated results and request files to be released.

Note

Mac users

If intending to use a Mac for Level 4 access, please check your hardware is suitable first.

Level 4 access requires a working Windows installation. Mac users with older Intel hardware have had success in accessing Level 4 when running Windows in a virtual machine.

However, Mac users with newer Macs that have Apple processors cannot run Windows in a virtual machine that is compatible with the client necessary for Level 4 access.

Macs from 2020 onwards are likely to have an Apple processor. You can check by going to the Apple menu in the top left of your screen and choosing "About This Mac". If the chip or processor information includes "Intel", it is an older model. If the chip starts with "Apple M...", it is a newer model which is incompatible with the client.

Macs with Apple processors are still suitable for writing, testing and submitting OpenSAFELY code to be run on the secure server. This issue only affects access to Level 4 server.

See this support discussion for a description of the problem.