Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1514967
11 EUROPE 25.01.2024 IN a decisive step that ensures that its cloud services respect European values and meet the specific requirements of its commercial and public sector customers in Europe, Micro- soft has announced that all per- sonal data from its cloud users will remain inside the EU. is significant step forward follows last year's rollout of the EU Data Boundary through which Microsoft had enabled the storage and processing of customer data within the boundary for Microsoft 365, Azure, Power Platform and Dynamics 365 services. It is also in line with the EU's GDPR rules that require cloud-based companies to not transfer personal data to serv- ers overseas, including the US, without privacy safeguards. "Today's announcement is part of a larger initiative to ena- ble our European customers to thrive in every sector and every country in the region – from implementing our European Cloud Principles, to our ongo- ing work expanding our Micro- soft Cloud for Sovereignty, to our sovereign solutions that we will deliver in partnership with leading European technology companies, to our continued global infrastructure invest- ments now spanning over 60 cloud regions, including 11 cloud regions in Europe," says Julie Brill, Corporate Vice Pres- ident & Chief Privacy Officer. Building on that initial re- lease, today Microsoft further expands its local storage and processing to include all per- sonal data, such as automated system logs, making Micro- soft the first large-scale cloud provider to deliver this level of data residency to European customers. e enhancements to the EU Data Boundary for the Mi- crosoft Cloud focus on three areas. First, Microsoft is ex- panding its local storage and processing commitments to now include all personal data within the boundary includ- ing pseudonymized personal data. With this expansion, the EU Data Boundary allows cus- tomers to store and process even more of their data within the European Union, enriching customer control. Secondly, through new trans- parency resources, including documentation and other in- formation, Microsoft will now be providing customers with a clear and comprehensive view of the data handling, limited transfers, and data protection processes. irdly, through deep invest- ments in EU-based technology, Microsoft will deploy virtual desktop infrastructure ena- bling remote data access for monitoring activity and system health, thus avoiding physical data transfers or storage out- side the EU. "In implementing the EU Data Boundary, we are also maintaining our commitment to world-class cybersecurity. is means that to ensure our EU customers receive the same world-class security as oth- er global customers, any data transfers outside the EU for security purposes will be doc- umented, limited to what is re- quired for crucial cybersecuri- ty functions, and used only for these cybersecurity purposes," added Microsoft's Julie Brill. Later this year, Microsoft will launch the next phase of its EU Data Boundary for the Micro- soft Cloud by transforming the processing and storage capabil- ities for data received during technical support interactions. Microsoft is also planning to offer a paid support option which will provide an initial technical response from within the EU and allow customers to provide consent before addi- tional technical expertise out- side the EU is engaged. "Our EU Data Boundary solu- tion goes beyond European compliance requirements and reflects our commitment to provide trusted cloud services that are designed to take ad- vantage of the full power of the public cloud while respecting European values and providing the most advanced sovereignty controls and features available in the industry today," conclud- ed Julie Brill. Microsoft to store all cloud users' personal data in the EU Microso Is First Major Cloud Provider to offer this level of data residency in Europe Central Bank of Malta Governor, Professor Edward Scicluna (right), visited Casa Antonia retirement home to personally congratulate former Central Bank Governor Mr RJA Earland on his 100th birthday