Tools & Resources
Cyberbiosecurity Self-Lab Assessment Tool (Cyber-SLAT)
Cyberbiosecurity is an emerging discipline that addresses the intersection of cybersecurity and biosecurity, recognizing that modern biological research increasingly depends on digital infrastructure. For laboratory facilities, priority risks within cyberbiosecurity stem from advancements in emerging biotechnologies and Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC), including artificial intelligence, next-generation sequencing, synthetic biology, and cloud-based laboratory automation. Cyberbiosecurity also addresses risks stemming from increased use and reliance on linked technologies within laboratory settings, such as laboratory information management systems (LIMS), networked scientific instruments, supply chain management platforms, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices that monitor environmental conditions in containment facilities. Understanding cyberbiosecurity threats and vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure systems within laboratory facilities is critical to protecting sensitive biological data and intellectual property and increasing biorisk management more broadly.
The Cyberbiosecurity Self-Lab Assessment Tool (Cyber-SLAT) seeks to assist low- and medium- resourced laboratory settings in improving cyberbiosecurity awareness and capacity by identifying laboratory-specific cyberbiosecurity risks stemming from high-consequence pathogens, measuring capacities, and developing corrective actions. It expands on the ERGP Self-Lab Assessment Tool (S-LAT), which was designed in 2017 for the self-assessment of biorisk management functions in research or diagnostic laboratories for public, environmental, and veterinary health. The 2025 revision comprises updated biorisk management modules introduced in the S-LAT and features a new cyberbiosecurity self-assessment tab focused on cyberbiosecurity risk evaluation, planning and management, infrastructure and systems, and incidence response. Completing the Cyber-SLAT encourages collaboration amongst laboratory staff and technicians, biosafety officers, and laboratory and facility leadership, with input from information and communications technology (ICT) or equivalent staff, including IT support specialists, database administrators, network/systems administrators. Like its predecessor, the Cyber-SLAT contains an automatically generated action plan that facilities can use to identify gaps, and determine short-, mid- and long-term activities to strengthen laboratory biorisk and cyberbiosecurity capacity. Individuals may identify the level of priority (low, medium, or high) for a particular action at their discretion, determine a timeline for its completion, and assign who is responsible for completing the action. The tool is available in English and French.
IHR State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) Tool Resource Library
This SPAR resource library provides a single source for all SPAR related documents including the guidance document and all organized by technical capacity. In addition, we’ve provided documents that are referenced in the Annex. We hope that this will be resource for National Focal Points and their multi-sectoral teams as they prepare for and submit the SPAR each year.
ERGP Self-Lab Assessment Tool (S-LAT)
Implementing a comprehensive biorisk management system is critical to reduce both the safety and security risks associated with biological agents. In order to promote biorisk management best practices at the institutional level, laboratories need to undergo biorisk assessments to identify biosafety and biosecurity gaps. While there are numerous resources available, it is not always obvious for facility-level biosafety officers or lab managers to know where to start. Additionally, there is an evident need for adapted resources with practical and field-tested methods, particularly for areas that face infrastructural challenges or periods of instability. Drawing from existing assessment methodologies and guidance documents, ERGP while hosted at Georgetown University (GU) adapted the World Health Organisation (WHO) Laboratory Assessment Tool (2012) and developed its own self-assessment approach to suit the conditions and associated challenges with traditional models of capacity strengthening. The Self Lab Assessment Tool (S-LAT) is designed for the self-assessment of biorisk management functions in a research or diagnostic laboratory and for public and veterinary health facilities. As this is a self-assessment tool, it can be completed internally by laboratory personnel and does not rely on external experts coming to the facility. The tool has been specifically tailored to address challenges observed in regional/sub-national laboratories and aims to support the systematic analysis of public health and veterinary laboratory structures and capabilities to provide insight on gaps specific to biosafety and waste management. The tool focuses on laboratory infrastructure and equipment, administration and training, biorisk management systems, specimen collection, handling, transport and referral and waste management. In addition to the assessment, the S-LAT contains an action plan that automatically generates as the tools are electronically completed. The action plan can be used to facilitate implementing any identified gaps from the self-assessment and determine short-, mid-and long-term activities that will strengthen their capacity. Assessors can identify the level of priority of a particular action (low, medium or high), a timeline for when the action should be completed and the who is person responsible for ensuring the action is completed. A link to the S-LAT, in English, and French, can be found at the link below:
S-LAT, English (xlsx) S-LAT, French (xlsx)
Publications
Linder AG, Zhao C, Samuelson BK, Standley CJ, Sorrell EM. Assessing the Revision of the States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Reporting Tool: Developing a Solution for an Historical Analysis of Compliance. Health Secur. 2025. doi:10.1089/hs.2023.0187