In his opening speech, Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Digital Transition and Telecommunications, once again affirmed his commitment to the sovereignty that lies at the heart of our nation’s and Europe’s competitiveness and capacity for innovation.

Emphasizing the crucial importance of data ecosystems in today’s digital economy, which is increasingly focused on the user experience, Mr. Barrot underlined the central role of the Cloud, as the major driver for innovation, in the transformation of businesses, governments and society as a whole.

Indeed, Europe is a global hub for technological innovation rapidly emerging as a key player in the global technology market, driven by its growing capacities in Cloud innovation and AI, provided we create a framework that empowers French and European champions.

Jean-Noël Barrot’s speech also highlighted the emerging challenges and opportunities that Cloud offers to organizations (such as democratized access to innovation) encouraging participants to embrace change, without of course forgetting sovereignty imperatives. “The Cloud is also a matter of sovereignty,” he reminded. “In an increasingly virtualized society and economy, it’s crucial that we maintain the highest levels of trust and service. Data, the sovereign legacy of our organizations and our nations, must be valued and protected.”

With this in mind, the Minister commended 3DS OUTSCALE’s vision and commitment, and in particular the new partnership with BNP PARIBAS. “This partnership shows that the French Cloud team is gradually strengthening its position as a strategic partner for businesses, promoting the digital autonomy that the French President has made a priority.” Indeed, the Government is to invest over 3 billion euros in the development of disruptive digital technologies. 667 million euros will be allocated to support Cloud players through the France 2030 plan, reminds Mr. Barrot before concluding:

“I would like to emphasize that 3DS OUTSCALE, like many other players in our digital economy, admirably embodies the ambition to be at the forefront of innovation, while ensuring our strategic autonomy for the future. So, well done, and long live the French Cloud!”

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Certifications as proof of trust

In France, the SecNumCloud security visa from the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) allows those who are qualified to prove that they meet the highest cloud computing security requirements. The qualification process is demanding, making it one of the criteria for receiving the government’s trusted cloud label and a reference for the future European certification from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).

The European Commission asked ENISA, tasked with developing and preserving the EUCS (European Cybersecurity Certification Scheme for Cloud Services), to add sovereignty requirements to the project.

This approach reflects the SecNumCloud qualification requirements and has repercussions for the cloud computing suppliers on the EU market, ensuring that they prioritise European values and commitments. 

A single security reference for Europe

The criteria chosen for the EUCS are all the more important since the scheme is intended to become the single security reference for all European countries. Thus, it must be a certification of Excellence consistent with the data protection and cybersecurity levels that are guaranteed by the reference security visas on the market. 

The European cybersecurity certification must set the bar high to ensure that the security level within each Member State is consistent and to build a European digital ecosystem that can meet the strictest needs uniformly.

With the new ways of using digital technology, European users are entrusting their most strategic assets to digital players. It is therefore essential to preserve them both technically and legally against extraterritorial laws. This way, the European Union shows that it intends to be a self-sufficient global technological power. Implementing an ambitious certification process is in line with European values and commitments in terms of data protection, transparency and sovereignty.

In an ever-changing world, digital sovereignty gives us control over our destiny. It is essential that Europe guarantees the most demanding security framework possible to protect the sensitive data of our citizens, companies, and institutions.

Ultimately, the impact on Europe can only be beneficial in terms of the guarantees provided, confidently fostering the acceleration of the digital transformation with the support of French and European technology champions.

Highly sensitive data should not be handed over to just anyone

In early summer, the television program “Cash Investigation” made a shocking revelation. It involved CNIL, France’s national data protection body, and IQVIA, the largest American health data broker in the world. CNIL authorized IQVIA to collect critical information such as social security numbers, names and issuance data from French health insurance cards (carte vitale). This came as quite a surprise to the public, unaware that their data would be shared in this way by several French pharmacies. It is no wonder people were taken aback – under the European General Data Protection Regulation, data processors are obliged to inform data subjects that their information is being processed in this manner. 

No European would welcome their confidential medical information traveling to the other side of the world without their consent or any control over how that information is used. French culture values confidentiality. One cannot handle personal data however they please – it is provided with a high level of trust. As much as sending data abroad is not a viable option, there also are accredited, efficient operators in France that can host this strategic information subject to stringent European regulations.

Most importantly, this sovereignty doesn’t just protect European citizens, it also helps to reinforce their economic power. It is therefore of the utmost importance to maintain control over citizens’ health data and avoid subjecting it to extraterritorial (non-European) legislation which in no way guarantees its security. 

Valuable data drives innovation and advances research

Beyond the economic aspect, this data is also of strategic value, as data can be used to develop new, innovative services that will improve public health and quality of life in the future. The French government is fully aware of this, as it recently announced an investment of €2 billion to accelerate digital transformation in the healthcare sector. 

Choosing to host health data in a European Cloud that is both SecNumCloud qualified and HDS certified – the most advanced security certifications – ensures that the data will be stored in accordance with strict regulations. This offers the research community and HealthTech start-ups new opportunities for innovation through information sharing. Recently, many people have been wondering how a vaccine could be produced in only a few months. In fact, this feat was made possible thanks to data-driven digital tweens and continual process simulation powered by Cloud infrastructure.

Today, this data is being used by many French and European start-ups – in accordance with the data protection rules imposed by the EU and storing it in sovereign, certified Clouds – to develop health services that will make the medical system more efficient and economical. For instance, in France, ExactCure (article in French) is developing promising technology that simulates the efficacy and interaction of medications in a patient’s body based on personal characteristics such as age and sex, liver condition, genotype, lifestyle and any other parameter that has been proven to have an impact on a given treatment. It is one of many examples of how a sovereign Cloud can be used to advance science in a way that also respects health data. 

The original article in French is available here.