Why are companies in Czechia not interested in data sovereignty?
A terrible phrase, but an increasingly common one in the field of technology and data security concerns. How is it related and why is it a trend that Czech companies are not interested in?
This view expresses purely our experience – but of course not the experience with all companies. However, we are surprised at how many Czech companies really studiously ignore this term. And the reason? Quite often convenience.
What Is Data Sovereignity?
Here we immediately come across two definitions, depending on the angle from which we look at the data.
- Legal point of view – the company must adhere to the laws of the state in which its data are stored.
- Operational view – the ability to control your own data.
It is no longer the case that, as the creator of data, only I can do whatever I want with them – social networks have taken away this comfort from us, and now they are the ones who have an almost unlimited right to make money from our creations.
With company data, however, it is also not guaranteed that you, as the owner or creator of the data, will be able to fully handle it.
Legal Point of View
Before we get into the technology part, it is necessary to focus on the legal aspects of storing data in foreign countries. A lot of companies we meet stay with the big three cloud providers – AWS, Azure, Google – because they are already with them and actually the data center is in the EU, so no problem with GDPR.
But GDPR is not the only aspect that a company should pay attention to. Individual sovereign states may still have their own additional regulations that apply to data. If you have data abroad, have you been found to meet all the legal requirements of that government? And do you know to what extent the government can hack into your data with impunity?
In addition, if we return to the GDPR, it is not so simple with it either. Each state has its own adaptation of this regulation, so of course it must fit in the basic points, but the EU states each have their own form of this hated regulation. Have you found that you meet the GDPR conditions of the country in question?
And if we leave Europe, then a much worse problem arises. Combining local data laws with foreign ones will not be a piece of cake.
Tech Point of View
Here, the managers may voluntarily start to disappear from the scene, but try to hold on. After all, the technological aspects of data sovereignty cannot be done without interfering with regular operations.
There is one topic that is related to services from global cloud providers – especially the Azure platform. The concept is certainly not unknown to you – vendor lock-in.
Closure within the framework of proprietary technologies, as this principle is called in Czech, limits the options available to the company for dealing with its own data. Yes, your data does not mean your full control.
It may happen that the proprietary environment you are using is not compatible with other systems. All your data is thus at the mercy of your service provider.
In addition, you cannot actually find out exactly where your data is with the big providers at a given point in time. They have to transfer cargo for efficiency, so one time they are here, the other time they are here.
European Cloud
We owe this topic to Mr. Kresa’s article entitled The New European Cloud: Road to Independence or Waste of Money? At the European political level, with regard to data sovereignty and increasing resistance to foreign providers, the wave for the European cloud has risen. It proclaims independence from foreign states and security. But is it necessary?
When you think about it, data sovereignty from both legal and technological perspectives is best ensured by a local cloud provider. In addition, he can give advice on a few things, because he works under the same government as you, so the same rules apply to him.
However, we live in a conservative environment, and exchanging a big brand for a “village cloud” seems too much for companies. They would rather pay huge sums for nonsense and not even understand what for.
Although these words are a sharp criticism, they only reflect the view that is constantly opening before our eyes on the Czech scene. It is a view of sacrificed efficiency and savings on the altar of brands and feelings.
