The sovereign cloud: definition and challenges
For your business, data security and confidentiality are essential. To meet this need, you can rely on what is called the Sovereign cloud. What does this name cover and what are its challenges? We answer these questions in this article.
What is the sovereign cloud?
Sovereign cloud is an approach to cloud computing that aims to address concerns about data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and security for organizations, especially governments and businesses operating in sensitive sectors. In a way, it is a cloud computing model that infrastructures and data are hosted within a specific territory. In addition, the computer equipment and data concerned by this cloud offer are operated in compliance with local laws and not those of the company that provides this service.
Concretely, a French sovereign cloud will host data within France and respect national and European laws and regulations. They will therefore not be subject to American legislation, for example. For this reason, if you are looking for a cloud storage solution, the latter must integrate these sovereignty issues.
What is the difference between a sovereign cloud and a trusted cloud?
Within the general public, the terms sovereign cloud and trusted cloud are sometimes used interchangeably. However, These two terms do not refer to the same type of cloud approach. It is therefore necessary to distinguish them well in order to select the service provider most suited to the expectations of your organization.
Sovereign cloud
As we pointed out before, a sovereign cloud ensures data hosting in a specific country such as France. This allows a total control over sensitive information and protects your business from the influence of foreign laws which could in particular fluctuate in response to political tensions.
Trusted cloud
The trusted cloud, on the other hand, refers to a set of measures put in place by a company in order to: guarantee a certain level of security to protect the data. In addition, the trusted cloud is supposed to ensure that individual data will not be used illicitly or that it will not be exploited to feed artificial intelligence algorithms.
In summary, the sovereign cloud locates data on the national territory while the trusted cloud tries to ensure a commitment of trust with respect to data processing, but the data is not necessarily hosted in France.
Why opt for a sovereign cloud?
By opting for a sovereign cloud, you ensure that your data is hosted in a secure space in France. By opting for a French cloud, you ensure compliance with local data protection regulations. The sovereign cloud reduces the risks of surveillance and foreign interference, and reinforces the security and confidentiality of your sensitive information. It also makes it possible to support the local economy by promoting national cloud service providers and finally offers better resilience in the event of geopolitical tensions or international restrictions. As companies are subject to the laws of the country where their data is hosted, opting for a sovereign cloud is essential in order to limit the risks of capturing your data.
The main challenges around the sovereign cloud
The first challenge of the sovereign cloud lies in complying with French regulations on data storage and protection. To date, data hosted in the US complies with the regulations in force on American territory (Cloud Act and Patriot Act), which facilitates access to sensitive and confidential information. By hosting your data on French territory, they will be subject to French legislation and more specifically to the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) which will ensure their security.
The second challenge of the sovereign cloud is based on the control of access to information. Since everyone does not have the same rights and the same needs, we must ensure that everyone can access only the information they need and not to information that is not intended for them. The sovereign cloud allows the establishment of a data sharing system with access control. Access levels are defined so that each employee can access only the information they need and that is intended for them.
Finally, hosting your data in France allows for increased efficiency, due to the proximity of computer installations.
The benefits of the sovereign cloud
The sovereign cloud has a number of undeniable advantages
- Data security and confidentiality: A sovereign cloud player ensures that the processing of data and its security respect all the laws and standards in force in France and Europe, including the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) .A secure cloud also makes it possible to minimize the risks of cyberattacks by guaranteeing total control over security infrastructure and processes.
- Digital sovereignty: By opting for a sovereign cloud, you allow your business and, more generally, the country to reduce its technological dependence on foreign suppliers. These are essential points, especially in view of certain American legislation such as the Patriot Act or the Cloud Act. By reducing dependence on international technologies and standards, the sovereign cloud allows greater technological autonomy. In particular, it makes it possible to prevent service interruptions due to international tensions or economic sanctions.
- Stimulation of the local economy: Choosing a French company makes it possible to encourage the development of the national economic and technological fabric, create jobs and promote innovation.
- Greater user trust : The sovereign cloud reinforces the confidence of businesses and citizens in the protection and confidentiality of their data.
What are the principles of the sovereign cloud?
The principles of the sovereign cloud are centered on 5 principles: data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, enhanced security, technological independence, and transparency. These principles aim to offer a secure and reliable alternative to global cloud computing solutions, with an emphasis on the protection of sensitive data and compliance with local regulations.
1. Data sovereignty
Data should be stored and processed in data centers located in the country of origin or in a specified geographic region, to ensure that it remains under local jurisdiction.
2. Regulatory compliance
Cloud infrastructures must comply with local data protection laws and regulations, such as the GDPR in Europe. They must also obtain and maintain relevant certifications (ISO, SOC 2, etc.) and undergo regular audits to ensure ongoing compliance.
3. Enhanced security
The sovereign cloud implements advanced security measures to protect data from unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and data breaches.
4. Technological independence
To minimize the risks of extraterritoriality and external political or economic influences, the cloud must be autonomous from foreign suppliers
5. Transparency
It is appropriate for the cloud owner to maintain transparent communication with users and stakeholders about security practices, incidents, and compliance measures.
How to set up a sovereign cloud?
The implementation of a sovereign cloud is based on 3 elements:
- Data security: Various security rules (encryption, electronic signature, etc.) must be put in place to ensure the protection of data in the cloud.
- Data location and traceability: The data must be hosted in France. They need to be easily located.
- Compliance with standards: The Cloud must comply with a certain number of standards such as the SecNumCloud standard or the HDS standard
Why choose Wimi's sovereign cloud?
Wimi is a full collaborative suite offering various services and functionalities including data storage, corporate document sharing, but also project management or collaborative work. Every Wimi customer is assured that all data is stored in France and benefits from an adequate level of encryption. In addition, this solution scrupulously respects French and European legislation and guarantees compliance in terms of personal data protection.
Let's add that this sovereign and secure suite is the first to have started its SecNumCloud and Trusted Cloud qualification process. With Wimi, your company data is thus optimally protected and protected from any foreign regulations that could conflict with your interests.
