Data and digital sovereignty: Who is in control of your data
Understanding digital sovereignty
Digital sovereignty extends beyond data to encompass control over the entire digital infrastructure — hardware, software, and data. It represents an organization's ability to manage and control its digital environment independently, ensuring autonomy and security in a constantly shifting cyber landscape. With global cloud adoption surging, the conversation around digital sovereignty has never been more relevant.
By 2025, 30% of multinational companies are expected to face significant impacts from unmanaged digital sovereign risks. This statistic underlines the growing urgency for IT leaders to ask themselves critical questions: What are your plans to ensure both digital and data sovereignty? Are you prepared to build a robust, secure digital infrastructure that respects and enforces these principles?
Sovereign cloud challenges
The journey to digital sovereignty is not without its challenges. Organizations must consider:
- Data: Where is your data stored? Who has access to it? How is it managed?
- Operations: Are your operational practices aligned with local and international data policies?
- Infrastructure/technology: Is your technology stack independent and resilient against foreign influence?
- Local vs. foreign compliance: Are you compliant with both local and international data laws?
- Residency and monitoring: Can you guarantee data residency in specific locations while maintaining transparent monitoring?
These challenges are not just theoretical; they represent real risks and vulnerabilities for global businesses. Control, privacy, audit trails, and technology independence are not just aspirations — they are necessities for resilient digital operations.
Keepit's role in achieving digital sovereignty
Where traditional SaaS data protection vendors rely heavily on third-party infrastructure, Keepit takes a radically different approach. Keepit has full control over both the data and management planes, which are physically and logically separated from production workloads.
This unique architecture means that Keepit controls cost, functionality, security, performance, management, operations, and integration — ensuring that customers are not at the mercy of hyperscalers or foreign policies.
For IT leaders, this means autonomy. It means knowing exactly where your data is, who is handling it, and how it is being protected — free from third-party influence. In an era where sovereignty risks are growing, Keepit stands as a beacon of control and reliability.
The path forward
Digital sovereignty is not a checkbox; it's a journey. For IT leaders, the time to act is now. Engage with infrastructure and operations leaders, discuss how Keepit can help secure and manage your data with full sovereignty. Understand the risks of unmanaged sovereignty and be proactive in securing your organization's digital future.
Next steps: Selecting the right data protection vendor
The next step in your sovereignty journey is selecting the right data protection partner. Here are key guidelines to consider:
- Control and ownership: Ensure the provider has complete control over its data and management planes. This eliminates third-party risks and ensures that you remain compliant with local and international data regulations.
- Physical and logical separation: Look for vendors that guarantee physical and logical separation from production workloads — like Keepit does.
- Transparency and auditability: Verify that the solution provides transparent audit trails and compliance monitoring.
- Cost and performance control: Choose a vendor that allows you to predict and manage costs effectively while maintaining optimal performance.
- Regulatory alignment: Ensure the provider is aligned with local laws and global standards to avoid legal complications.
Choosing the right vendor is crucial for mitigating digital sovereign risks and ensuring data remains protected and compliant.