Not sure what sovereign cloud services are? You’re not alone. That’s why we brought in our CTO Calvin Engen to explain what sovereign cloud services are, why their location is important to your company, and how they can support your data protection, retention, and compliance needs.
by: Calvin Engen
What is sovereign cloud?
Sovereign cloud means that all of the components of the cloud are kept in the native soil of that country—in our case, Canada. The data, the equipment, the backup: it’s all located on our native soil.
Why does it matter where my data lives?
In today’s technological landscape, it’s extremely common to be unaware of where your data is sitting. It may never even have occurred to you where your data lives. Thanks to cloud technology, it’s so easy to access your information wherever you may be. But if your data is living in a foreign country, then the laws of that country apply to YOUR Canadian data.
With new laws like the CLOUD Act, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your organization’s data lives within your own country. That’s because you may otherwise run the risk of being subpoenaed if your data is required by law enforcement in a security or criminal case. By choosing Canadian cloud sovereign services, you are making the informed decision that your data will abide by our Canadian judicial system and its laws.
How can I make sure my IT providers are actually offering Cloud Sovereign services?
No certification exists yet in the industry for sovereign cloud regulations. However, F12 works every day to increase awareness in Canada and abroad of the importance of cloud sovereignty. In the meantime, here are some key steps you can take to make sure your IT service provider is offering genuine cloud sovereign services.
- Ask them about the location of the people and data centres linked to their cloud sovereign services. Are the employees Canadian? Is the data Canadian?
- Does your data traverse any international borders, like the United States? At F12, we constantly review our data routes to make sure it stays within Canadian borders from end to end.
- Make sure that all the components of their cloud “supply chain” are located within Canada.
At F12, we’re proud of the way our jurisdictional compliance meets exceptional security in our sovereign cloud services. If you’re unsure whether your data is located where your IT provider says it is, contact us. We’re all about keeping your data safe, secure, and Canadian.