The 5 advantages of a sovereign secure cloud

Today, in the digital age, the majority of business data is dematerialized. No more filing cabinets and boxes full of paper documents stored in archive rooms. Today, all of this data is stored digitally in the cloud.

According to A study by Markess by Exaegis, the French cloud market reached nearly 16 billion euros in 2021, with a growth of 15.5%. Continuing its momentum, it is expected to grow from 29% of the digital software and services market in 2021 to over 40% in 2025.

In this article, we tell you everything about the cloud and explain the advantages of opting for a secure and sovereign cloud.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing (in French, “cloud computing”) refers to a place where computer data is stored that can now be accessed remotely via the Internet. In other words, computer resources (whether files or software) are no longer installed directly on your personal or professional computer, but on one or more servers located in data centers located around the world.

Today, a large part of the services available for professionals and individuals (instant messaging, office software, photo storage, etc.) are based on the cloud. We then talk about SaaS software for Software as a service, as opposed to on-premise software, i.e. software installed directly on your computer.

However, the cloud raises the problem of data sovereignty personal data as well as company data. This concept of digital sovereignty means that digital data must be subject to the legislation of the country in which it is stored, in order to be protected against industrial espionage for example. Hence the need to choose a secure sovereign cloud.

And what is the sovereign cloud?

According to Archimag, “the sovereign cloud is established when the cloud service company and the company that wishes to host its data are located in the same territory. The solution, that is to say: accommodation, management or even infrastructures, works only in a specific country or territory. This cloud service complies with current standards and legislation for data protection and security.”

In order for your data to be protected by French or European legislation, and to prevent them from being subject to Cloud Act, it is essential to choose a sovereign cloud, i.e. one whose servers are hosted in France or Europe.

However, according to a study conducted by Markess by Exaegis, the three American cloud giants, Amazon, Microsoft and Google, currently hold 71% of the market share in France.

Today, to guarantee the protection of your data, you must take into account where it is stored because national law applies to the servers that host your data.

To help you choose a trusted cloud provider, the ANSSI (National Agency for Information System Security) has implemented the SecNumCloud label.

The benefits of a secure sovereign cloud

Discover the benefits of choosing a secure sovereign cloud for your data.

Choosing transparently

To stand out and promote the trust of their potential customers, suppliers of French sovereign cloud or Europeans are generally transparent about their operation, the location of their servers, the conditions of data storage, the laws in force, etc.

Thus, you can choose your cloud computing provider transparently, in particular thanks to the SecNumCloud label. This allows you to avoid unpleasant surprises because nothing is hidden from you.

Building trust

Today, data security has become a priority for the majority of organizations, across all sectors. By choosing a sovereign and secure cloud, you reinforce the trust that your customers have in you because you show them that you control the location of data, and you prove to them that the protection of the data they entrust to you is your priority.

Indeed, today, customers are more attentive to the ethics of the companies to which they entrust their data. Collaborating with a national hosting provider also allows you to stand out from the competition.

Complying with European legislation

By opting for a sovereign cloud, you comply with French and European legislation on data protection and confidentiality, in particular by complying with the RGPD (the general data protection regulation).

Improving the security of your data

The main objective of a sovereign cloud is to offer greater protection to your data. Thus, by choosing a French or European cloud solution, you ensure that your data cannot be consulted by a third party without the prior authorization of a judge.

This is not the case for American cloud giants like Amazon's AWS, Amazon's AWS, Microsoft, and Microsoft's Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, which are subject to the Cloud Act and Patriot Act. Their servers can thus be freely consulted by the FBI, CIA or any other state organization, on request and without informing you.

Save time and money

Finally, one of the advantages of opting for a secure and sovereign cloud is that you do not need to deal with the management and maintenance of physical IT infrastructures, various updates and backups. All this is delegated to a third party (either the cloud provider or a specialized company). In this way, you save time but also money, because maintenance is often included in the cloud service price.

To conclude

A sovereign secure cloud works just like any cloud. It therefore offers you the same advantages (a centralized space for all your data, access to digital resources from any connected device, easy maintenance, etc.) while strengthening the security and confidentiality of your data.