Dutch government working on its own secure cloud
The Dutch government is currently in the process of designing its own 'sovereign' cloud. This is a digital platform over which the government itself has control. The goal of this project is to become less dependent on large foreign technology companies and to increase the security of sensitive government information.
At present, the government uses commercial cloud solutions for many digital services. This entails risks, as the data is sometimes stored on servers in other countries. With its own cloud, the government wants to ensure that all data remains within Dutch borders and complies with strict national legislation regarding privacy and security.
The design for the new cloud focuses on data centers that are fully owned by the government itself. This allows state officials and IT specialists to have direct oversight of how data is stored and processed. This is intended to prevent foreign parties from gaining access to confidential information belonging to citizens or government institutions.
The project is currently still in the design phase. The government is investigating how it can technically set up this system and what costs are involved. It is an important step in the Netherlands' digitalization strategy, in which digital independence and the protection of personal data are central.