Digital Sovereignty on the Azure Cloud
For organizations in the EU, moving to the cloud brings up some important questions about control, data protection, and compliance with European laws like the GDPR. In this session, we'll explore what digital sovereignty actually means when you're working with Microsoft Azure.
We'll start by looking at why this topic has become so important lately and what regulations are making us think twice about hosting our data with American Big Tech companies. Then we'll dive into Azure's portfolio to see what sovereign options are actually available in the cloud.
Key management is crucial for protecting our data, so we'll discuss several different approaches. Beyond just encrypting stored data, confidential computing also protects our data while it's being processed. We'll look at how Azure supports compliance through data residency guarantees, policies, sovereign landing zones, and the EU Data Boundary. We'll also briefly explore Azure Local as an option for keeping workloads on-premises while still benefiting from Azure services.
By the end, we'll have a better understanding of whether all these measures are enough to ensure that personal data actually stays within Europe.
About the speaker
Erwin Staal
I am a Tech Lead and Azure Solution Architect from the Netherlands, with over a decade of experience spanning startups, enterprise organizations, and international teams. I thrive at the intersection of technology, strategy, and leadership, helping companies deliver software to customers using DevOps practices and Cloud-Native architectures.
Being on the line between IT and business is where I feel most at home—creating technical solutions that address real user needs while driving teams toward success. I enjoy coaching and leading teams to embrace new technologies and ways of working, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.
Outside of my work for clients, I have a passion for sharing knowledge. I am a co-author of Azure Infrastructure as Code (https://www.manning.com/books/azure-infrastructure-as-code), occasionally write blogs, and regularly speak at international conferences.
