Practical guide
Secure data migration between condominium software
Migrating to a new management system is the moment when condominium data is most exposed: it leaves the source system, travels through export files and enters a new environment. During this phase the owners' personal data and the accounting can be intercepted, altered or forgotten on temporary media. This guide focuses on the security of the migration, not just its functional outcome: how to protect the files during the transfer, verify that nothing was lost or corrupted, and securely delete the leftover copies once the process is complete.
Checklist for a secure migration
- Make a full backup of the data before any export
- Export in open, verifiable formats, avoiding closed formats that cannot be reproduced
- Encrypt the export files that contain owners' personal data
- Transfer the data over protected channels, never via unencrypted email
- Verify integrity: counts, accounting totals and samples compared between old and new
- Restrict access to temporary files to the people involved only
- At the end, securely delete the intermediate copies and the media used
- Document who handled the data and when, for traceability
Before you start: snapshot and backup
No migration should start without a full, verified backup of the source system. It is the safety net that lets you go back if something goes wrong during the transfer. You should also take a snapshot of the key data: number of condominiums, units, balances, accounting totals per financial year. These figures will serve as a reference for the final check.
At this stage it is also worth mapping which data is personal. The owners' register, contacts and the positions of individual owners are subject to Regulation EU 2016/679 and require particular care throughout the transfer.
Protecting data during the transfer
Export files often contain the entire owners' register and accounting in clear text. If these files travel via unencrypted email or on unprotected media, an interception or loss becomes a data breach. The rule is simple: encrypt the files and use protected transfer channels, sharing the password over a channel different from the one used to send the data.
Access to temporary files must be restricted to the people actually working on the migration. Every extra copy on flash drives, shared folders or personal computers increases the chance that a file will be forgotten after the project ends.
- Encrypt every export file containing personal data
- Use protected channels, never clear-text email for the full owners' register
- Share passwords over a channel separate from the data
- Minimize the number of copies and of people with access
Verifying integrity after the upload
Transferred data is not correct data until you verify it. Migration can lose rows, truncate fields or alter amounts due to format differences. The check is done by comparing the reference figures gathered at the start with those in the new system: number of condominiums and units, opening balances, income and expense totals per financial year.
Beyond the totals it is worth inspecting a few real cases as a sample, choosing condominiums with complex situations such as arrears, joint ownership or works in progress. If the difficult samples come out right, all the rest most likely did too.
Securely deleting leftover copies
Migration leaves copies behind: export files, temporary backups, data on the computers of those who worked on the switch. Leaving them lying around multiplies the points from which personal data can leak. At the end of the project these copies must be securely deleted, not simply moved to the recycle bin.
You must also decide what to do with the source system. It is often useful to keep it accessible read-only for a comparison period, but with a clear deadline after which the data is removed. All handling of data during the migration should be documented, so the firm can show it acted with due care.
Migrating to AmministraPro securely
AmministraPro supports the data transfer with structured import procedures and a protected cloud environment where accounting, the owners' register and documents reside safely and replicated. This reduces the risks of the transfer and simplifies the integrity check once the upload is done.
On the /funzioni page you will find the import and archiving tools, while on the /prezzi page you can evaluate the plan suited to the size of the firm you are migrating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I email the export files to the new provider?
Not in clear text. Export files contain the owners' register and accounting and are personal data protected by Regulation EU 2016/679. They must be encrypted and transferred over protected channels, sharing the password over a different channel. Unencrypted email exposes the data to interception and loss.
How do I verify that the migration did not lose data?
Compare the reference figures gathered before the switch with those in the new system: number of condominiums and units, opening balances, income and expense totals per financial year. Then inspect complex cases as a sample, such as arrears and joint ownership. If those come out right, almost everything did.
What do I do with the data copies after the migration?
The intermediate copies, export files and temporary backups must be securely deleted at the end of the project, not just moved to the recycle bin. The source system can stay read-only for a comparison period, but with a clear deadline after which the data is removed.
Should I back up before migrating?
Yes, always. A full, verified backup of the source system is the safety net that lets you go back if the transfer fails. It should be accompanied by a snapshot of the key data, such as balances and totals, which you will use as a reference for the final check.
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