Data sovereignty: do you really know where your data is?

Data sovereignty: do you really know where your data is?
Think your data is safe in Europe because you use Microsoft? Think again. Information is the beating heart of your organization. But do you know where your data really resides? And who has access to it outside your organization? At a time when laws and regulations are changing rapidly and international tensions are increasing, one thing is becoming increasingly urgent: data sovereignty. More and more organizations want control over their data. And rightly so.

In a nutshell:

• Data sovereignty = control over your own data
• U.S. clouds bring legal risks
• Backup, logging and policies are essential
• ALTA-ICT helps with setup, management and awareness

What is data sovereignty?

Data sovereignty means that as an organization you retain control over your own data. About where it is stored, who can access it and under what legislation it falls. And that is less obvious than it seems. Data that you store in an American cloud, such as Microsoft or Google, can fall under the U.S. CLOUD Act. For example: if you have customer data in OneDrive, an American government can retrieve it – even if the server is in the Netherlands. That wrangles, especially if you work with sensitive information or fall under the European AVG or upcoming NIS2.

Why data sovereignty is also your risk

Organizations with personal data, customer data or internal documents must be able to demonstrate that their data is properly secured and within the correct legal boundaries. Especially if you are (or want to become) ISO 27001 certified. But data sovereignty goes beyond compliance. Without insight into things like backup retention, access rights or document distribution, you are simply at risk. Because what was secure yesterday may be vulnerable today.

How do you get a grip?

You don’t get a grip with a separate tool, but with smart organization and well thought-out policy. The solution lies not only in technology, but also in the way you organize and control everything. That is why we help organizations draw up IT policies that are workable and controllable. Think of clear guidelines about who has access to what, automatic logging, a backup policy that suits your risks and audit-proof reports. We ensure that your Microsoft 365 environment is set up based on Zero Trust (only access where necessary) and that data remains in the right place under the right legislation.

Outside U.S. jurisdiction? No problem

Sometimes you are not allowed to store data in an American cloud, for example because of duty of care or legal requirements. Then ALTA-ICT offers an alternative: we work with Dutch and European data centers that are fully covered by EU legislation, have no U.S. jurisdiction and are certified according to ISO 27001 and NEN 7510. These partners also offer 24/7 support, are familiar with the healthcare sector, provide customized SLAs and you get a fixed contact person who knows your situation. This allows you to remain in compliance with European legislation and gives you real control as an organization. Without compromising on speed, convenience or security.

From healthcare to SMEs: broadly applicable

For example, we apply this approach in our healthcare solutions, such as ZorgAdresboek and CheckMyself. These solutions are specifically designed for data separation, logging and security. But we also make data sovereignty practical for SMEs. Whether you work with customer information, quotations or project files: with the right setup you make your data transparent, secure and future-proof.

What does this mean for your organization?

It doesn’t matter if you have 5 or 50 employees, data sovereignty is relevant to everyone.

Want to be sure you are in compliance with laws and regulations?
Want to control who can access your data and when?
Do you want a partner who thinks about policy, technology and management?

If so, we’d be happy to help. Together, we’ll look at how your ICT can be smarter, more secure and more sovereign.

Whether you want to comply with legislation, get a grip on your data or just want to know if you’re in the right place, we think with you. Schedule a meeting right away, and we’ll show you what data sovereignty really means.