Act now on Europe’s data sovereignty
This year, the European Commission proposes to set an objective to at least triple the capacity of the EU data center over the next five to seven years, in order to support the growth of the self-associated digital economy of the region.
At the same time, Europe leaders prioritize sovereignty to strengthen confidence in European IT infrastructure in the midst of a general concern concerning security, governance and control of data organized here.
Director General of the United Kingdom at Leaseweb.
The harsh reality is that knowing precisely where the data of an organization is stored and what laws of the country govern this, is now a question that needs action at the oldest level in the light of the world’s economic and geopolitical climate.
Ignoring this could have a painful impact on companies that do not have a solid strategy in place, including non-compliance fines, as well as commercial disruptions and damage to stakeholders.
A long -term European sovereign cloud
More urgency to establish sovereign cloud services in Europe has been stimulated by recent trade policies, including announcements on American rates. Not only did these send shock to global markets, but they also emphasize that the European economy is vulnerable to decisions taken outside of its jurisdiction.
Among companies and IT leaders are major concerns that there is a strong dependence on major cloud suppliers whose headquarters are in the United States, with specific fears that Europe data is not sufficiently saved against foreign intervention.
American laws such as the Cloud Act, which could force American providers to hand over data to the authorities, no matter where they are physically stored, highlight distinct legal ambiguities around the governance and security of cross -border data.
Although hyperscalers are on board to find a practical solution, Microsoft has recently been reported in France to admit that it could not offer any guarantee of immunity from the cloud law for data stored within EU limits.
And recent research in the United Kingdom has revealed that more than half of the country’s computer leaders plan to reduce dependence on providers based in the United States, 45% actively seeking to limit exposure to American jurisdiction.
In this environment, locally governed data storage providers are probably increasingly attractive. But with only 15% of the European cloud market made up of regional providers, substantial change is necessary before dependence on American cloud suppliers can be considerably reduced.
Programs such as IPCEI-CIS (important projects of common European interest on infrastructure and cloud services) aim to fill this gap, by developing a secure and sovereign cloud frame compliant with EU regulations as the GDPR.
In the end, this will ensure that the data stored physically within the limits of Europe are under local governance and that the cloud services are fully regulated to deliver it.
Obtain action at the level of the board of directors
Naturally, IT professionals focus on the clarity of their data governance policies as well as the implementation of solid data storage supplies for their organizations. But it is not only the responsibility of IT management. To implement an effective sovereign of data, a commitment is required at the level of the board of directors.
In the end, if senior leaders do not recognize the potentially serious legal, financial and operational risks, an organization could be subject to significant fines, legal action and long -term damage to reputation.
Each size of the organization can expect a more in -depth examination of customers and other stakeholders on the site of their data and the jurisdiction applies. For large companies, this means involving legal and financial teams to design granular visibility and control over data management and storage processes.
Even small organizations will have to be clear on the legal governance of the data they hold and manage – for many, this could be a real challenge since small businesses do not have access to the scale of technical and legal resources that large companies have at hand.
A practical alternative is to turn to third -party cloud suppliers to get advice. These providers must take up the challenge and be ready to give precise details on the data residence. References to the following best practices are not good enough.
Instead, a supplier should be able to confirm that data is kept in a specific country, for example, a data center in Belgium. If something is vague or lacks enough clarity, then the action must follow to correct this.
Is repatriation the answer?
Repatriation is a viable option for organizations wishing to secure specific data sets and workloads, using on -site servers or private clouds instead of the public cloud. It allows an organization to control access to data and guarantee that it aligns with local legislation.
For example, when an organization chooses to repatriate sensitive or critical data, it can better protect this data against third party risks and the intervention of the foreign government.
To indicate its popularity, IDC noted that around 80% of IT professionals expected a certain level of repatriation in data and workloads. Another survey of DSIs supports this trend, noting that 83% of senior IT leaders planned the workload of the public cloud workload last year.
However, this migration of data is not a large -scale abandonment of the public cloud – for the most part, it is an enlightened approach and considered as part of a large cloud strategy. It indicates an approach to maturation of cloud services, where the adoption of hybrid infrastructure offers each organization a flexibility, scalability and refined safety.
Build a strong digital economy
In short, a clear data sovereignty strategy is now an urgent commercial priority that each organization, large and small, must set up. Although the approach varies, the objective is the same – precision and confidence in the way the data is stored, manipulated and governed.
Many will benefit from a partner to help design and implement the right infrastructure and policies best suited to individual commercial requirements.
The right partner, offering a proactive consulting firm, which can guarantee the details of the data residence, and the comfort of compliance will make a difference to be a sovereign ready or not.
Obtaining clear answers now is a decisive step in which European companies can contribute to a more independent digital economy, solidly based on sovereignty, innovation and confidence.
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