Sovereign cloud: what makes it truly sovereign?

Using a sovereign cloud is the best option for the security and privacy of our institutions’ and companies’ data. Yet, only 50% of IT decision-makers claim to have a precise understanding of digital sovereignty.

So, how do we define a “sovereign cloud”? It’s often said that a sovereign cloud is one that hosts its data in data centers located in France or Europe. In reality, this definition is incorrect.

In this article, we invite you to explore the characteristics of a sovereign cloud through the example of Leviia and the benefits of this model for data protection.

1. The characteristics of a sovereign cloud

In 2016, the French Ministries of the Interior and Culture proposed a definition of a sovereign cloud: “A sovereign cloud is a deployment model in which the hosting and all data processing by a cloud service provider are physically carried out within the national territory by an entity governed by French law and in compliance with national regulations.”

In practical terms, this means that in France, a cloud infrastructure is sovereign if:

• The cloud service provider is a French company.
• This company is subject to French law, meaning it operates under the same jurisdiction as its French clients.
• The provider ensures data residency by hosting data in data centers located on French soil.
• Every link in the data processing chain is subject to French jurisdiction and aligned with compliance regulations and privacy regulations.

Additionally, sovereign providers must respect regional data laws and data sovereignty frameworks that dictate how and where personal and sensitive data is handled. To address the requirements of regulated industries, many sovereign providers also implement legal entity compliance and advanced access control policies for sensitive workloads.

To ensure full control, some sovereign providers adopt air-gapped environments or isolated data environments, where systems are physically or logically separated from external networks. This reinforces cloud governance and limits the risk of unauthorized access.

In other words, solutions from GAFAM companies like Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive cannot be considered sovereign, even if they host their data in France, as they are subject to U.S. legislation.

Similarly, a French company hosting data in another country is not a sovereign solution.

Finally, a French company hosting its clients’ data in France is not necessarily sovereign. For example, a French cloud service provider that hosts data in France but uses a U.S. encryption key management solution to protect its clients’ data cannot ensure data sovereignty.

2. Why is Leviia a sovereign and secure cloud?

Leviia is one of the few solutions on the market that meets all the criteria for a sovereign cloud.

First, we are a French company based in Seine-et-Marne, governed by French law. All our data centers are located in France. Only entities subject to French jurisdiction are involved in processing our clients’ data, ensuring full geographic data control.

Leviia partners with sovereign-compliant cloud partners and implements robust resilience strategies including disaster recovery solutions designed specifically for regulated cloud markets.

Our sovereign cloud is also certified ISO 27001 and HDS:

1. A company certified ISO 27001 is recognized as capable of identifying cyber threats, managing risks related to sensitive data, ensuring their confidentiality, and guaranteeing the availability and integrity of information under all circumstances.
2. The HDS (Health Data Hosting) certification is a legal requirement for hosting personally identifiable information, such as personal health data. Cloud service providers offering a trusted environment can be certified HDS to collaborate with medical institutions.

These certifications are not officially required to qualify as a “sovereign cloud.” However, they provide proof that the certified company can guarantee the data protection laws compliance and the security of its clients’ data, including against foreign interference. Leviia also performs regular cloud auditing procedures to ensure transparent and compliant operations. Its secure cloud infrastructure is designed to guarantee long-term reliability, protection, and regulatory alignment for all types of sensitive data.

3. Sovereign cloud: What are the benefits for your data security?

Sovereign cloud providers offer several guarantees to French institutions and companies.

1. Data confidentiality: A sovereign cloud is a secure cloud infrastructure that protects the confidentiality of French organizations against foreign regulations and practices through strict data access controls and operational sovereignty.

For example, the Cloud Act and FISA are two U.S. laws that allow judicial authorities and federal government agencies (FBI, NSA, CIA, etc.) to access, with or without a request, the data of any company using a U.S. cloud service provider. The risks of economic espionage, data leaks, or breaches of confidentiality are therefore significant and highlight the need for stronger data security measures.

2. Independence from GAFAM: Adopting a sovereign cloud is an excellent way to break free from the few giants that dominate the market for digital services to businesses and monetize their data. Additionally, choosing a sovereign cloud supports the French economy and its innovative players, who provide solutions of at least equal quality to those of GAFAM. It also promotes digital self-determination by giving back control to local actors.

3. Data security: The mission of a sovereign cloud is to offer the highest level of customer data protection to its clients against cyber threats. Manageable encryption, authentication, backups, replication—Leviia leaves nothing to chance.

This also includes offering high availability configurations and scalable hybrid cloud solutions that support a multi-cloud environment, allowing organizations to maintain business continuity. Thanks to well-defined service-level agreements, clients benefit from guaranteed uptime and performance.

The stakes of a sovereign cloud concern every company that wishes to protect its data from cyberattacks and foreign interference. To this end, Leviia offers a secure and sovereign cloud that meets the highest standards. Our team of experts is at your disposal to discuss your cloud compliance and data protection needs, as well as your expectations in terms of cloud solution agility.