Digital Sovereignty: Why Quebec Businesses Must Regain Control of Their Data?
Is Quebec still in control of its data? This is the question raised by a recent La Presse investigation (in French only), which reveals that over 85% of the cloud solutions used by Quebec ministries rely on American tech giants like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Dell. Even the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Technology, which is supposed to safeguard information protection and data sovereignty, is no exception! Meanwhile, fully Quebec-based hosting solutions account for only a tiny fraction of the market — a troubling imbalance when it comes to controlling digital infrastructure.
Far from being limited to the public sector, our technological dependence on the United States also affects many private companies in finance, healthcare, logistics, and retail. Find out why it is now more crucial than ever to break this trend!
The CLOUD Act: A Law That Calls for Vigilance
Major cloud platforms like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are subject to foreign legislations such as the U.S. CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act) which raises several concerns about the level of access the U.S. government may have to data stored on foreign servers. Indeed, section 2713 of the CLOUD Act appears to allow U.S. authorities to demand access to data hosted in Canada, provided it is controlled by a U.S.-based provider. What's more, American authorities can access any data that passes through servers located in the United States, regardless of the users' legal status.
While we are not legal experts, our understanding of the law’s provisions is that Quebec businesses could potentially lose control over their data due to certain legal pressures. It is therefore essential to act with caution and carefully assess the risks associated with choosing an American hosting solution.Consulting a legal expert remains the best way to ensure you receive sound advice on the matter!
A Widespread But Not Always Advisable Use...
Public cloud services quickly became popular within organizations due to their flexibility and pay-as-you-go pricing model. However, opting for such solutions also comes with a number of consequences:
- Dependence on external providers;
- Lack of budget predictability;
- Loss of control over data;
- Governance risks;
- Challenges in migrating data.
All these drawbacks have led many organizations to seek to bring their data back under their own control.A 2024 survey conducted by Barclays Bank even reveals that 83% of IT business leaders plan to repatriate part of their workloads from the public cloud to a private environment.. This trend, known as cloud repatriation, is being observed around the world — including here in Canada!
5 Key Questions to Protect Your Data
Every business should be able to clearly answer these five questions to make the best decisions regarding the security of their information:
- "Where are my critical data stored?"
- "Who truly has access to my platforms?"
- "Which jurisdiction governs my cloud providers?"
- "Does my hosting strategy promote the resilience or dependence of my data?"
- "In the event of a dispute, am I able to quickly repatriate my data and information internally?"
3 Recommendations for Local Businesses
- Define a data sovereignty strategy: Map out your strategic data, then identify which data must be hosted locally and secured in environments not subject to foreign jurisdictions.
- Favour a hybrid model: Use the public cloud for non-critical or scalable environments, and repatriate sensitive elements into a private, sovereign cloud governed by Quebec or Canadian law.
- Work with local partners: There are several Quebec-based providers that can offer high-performance, certified, and secure hosting solutions aligned with your business reality. Partnering with these companies also helps strengthen the local economy and the resilience of Quebec’s IT ecosystem.
Digital Sovereignty: Tink Is Part of the Solution!
For nearly 30 years, our team has been supporting Quebec businesses in their digital transformation. Among other services, we offer a complete private cloud hosting solution through two data centers located in Quebec, certified under three major standards:
- System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) Standard: This certification ensures that our systems meet strict criteria for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and data protection.
- International Organization for Standardization 27001 (ISO 27001) Standard: This certification attests that we implement an internationally recognized Information Security Management System (ISMS) to protect sensitive data rigorously and systematically.
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS): This certification guarantees that we apply stringent security measures to protect payment card data against fraud and cyberattacks.
A Proven Hosting Model
Major Quebec and Canadian companies have trusted us for over a decade to host and secure their critical platforms, following a model based on:
- proactive and comprehensive managed services (24/7 monitoring, automated updates, documentation management, and disaster recovery planning);
- scalable, secure infrastructure fully operated by our employees;
- clear, fixed-cost pricing with no hidden consumption-related fees;
- integrated DevOps expertise, including automated code integration and deployment (CI/CD), continuous monitoring of systems and applications, and the implementation of advanced application security measures.
Taking Control of Your Data: A Strategic Imperative
In a world where geopolitical tensions and cyber threats are constantly on the rise, controlling your data is no longer just an advantage — it is a necessity. Digital sovereignty has become much more than a government issue; it now has a direct impact on the competitiveness, resilience, and long-term viability of Quebec businesses.
Taking back control of your IT environments, diversifying your cloud providers, and investing in local hosting infrastructures are responsible, sustainable, and strategic choices for your organization. We are here to help you make it happen!