Microsoft has today presented a comprehensive plan with five measures to secure data in Europe against political interference.
Many of us probably take it for granted.
But several Danish workplaces and authorities are deeply dependent on American online services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft’s OneDrive.
In the wake of the more tense political situation between the US and Europe, politicians and experts have begun to ask the questions: Could Trump pull the data plug and turn off the cloud and our data stores online? And if so, are we prepared for it?
Among others, the country’s Minister of Emergency Management, Torsten Schack Pedersen (V), who earlier this month urged all companies and authorities to look around for new solutions.
But now Microsoft is doing its part to ensure that this will not happen.
Among other things, the tech giant is expanding the capacity of data centers in Europe by 40 percent, and they will create a special European cloud for data. It must ensure that European data remains within the EU’s borders.
Without mentioning Trump specifically, Microsoft President Brad Smith says it is to protect Europe from the political dismantling of its services.
“In the unlikely event that a government orders Microsoft to suspend or stop our work in Europe, we commit that we will promptly and wholeheartedly fight it and ultimately take legal action if necessary,” he said.
What is a cloud service?
‘Cloud computing’ – also known as ‘the cloud’ – covers a number of web-based solutions. Here, companies and consumers can access solutions via the internet, and in that sense have their software in the cloud. Everything from messages, photos, files, documents, and emails are stored online. This means that you can access your data from several devices via the internet.
Examples of cloud services are Apple’s iCloud, Dropbox or Microsoft’s OneDrive.
