Cloud Storage
High Performance
achieve data resiliency for cloud workloads
Achieve Data Resiliency for Cloud Workloads in the EU
Many cloud strategies overlook the high costs of data dependency and significant regulatory risks. A sovereign approach to object storage delivers true data resiliency for your cloud workloads, ensuring both compliance and control.
Key Takeawys
True data resiliency for cloud workloads combines technical architecture with digital sovereignty, ensuring data is protected by EU law and immune to foreign statutes like the CLOUD Act.
An "Always-Hot" storage model with full S3 compatibility simplifies operations, eliminates hidden restore fees, and ensures 100% of data is immediately available for recovery.
Immutable storage with S3 Object Lock is a critical defense against ransomware, creating tamper-proof backups that guarantee a clean recovery point.
Enterprises across Europe now treat cloud adoption as standard practice, but many face challenges with vendor lock-in and unpredictable costs. A strong majority of EU decision-makers prefer European solutions for critical infrastructure, prioritizing EU data residency and security. Achieving data resiliency for cloud workloads requires more than just backups; it demands a strategy built on digital sovereignty. An EU-native, S3-compatible object storage platform with an "Always-Hot" data model provides a practical path to compliance, performance, and predictable economics without hidden fees.
Redefine Resiliency with Digital Sovereignty
True data resiliency extends beyond simple recovery capabilities; it begins with where your data resides. Storing data with non-EU providers exposes it to foreign laws like the CLOUD Act, creating a direct conflict with GDPR. This legislation allows foreign authorities to access data held by U.S.-based companies, regardless of its physical location. For European businesses, this creates an unacceptable risk to both privacy and intellectual property.
A sovereign-by-design approach ensures your data remains under EU jurisdiction, governed exclusively by EU laws. This is achieved through country-level geofencing, which guarantees data stays within predefined European borders. Choosing an EU-owned and operated provider eliminates the legal conflicts that undermine genuine cyber resilience and ensures your data's legal home is unequivocally European. This foundation of sovereignty is the first step to building a robust resiliency strategy.
Build a Resilient Architecture on S3 Compatibility
Technical architecture is the second pillar of modern data resiliency. An S3-compatible object storage platform protects your technology investments by ensuring your existing applications, scripts, and tools continue to work without code rewrites. This compatibility should extend beyond basic operations to include advanced features like versioning and lifecycle management. Full API, CLI, and SDK support minimizes migration risk and operational disruption by at least 80%.
Many cloud architectures introduce complexity through tiering, leading to restore delays and hidden fees. An "Always-Hot" object storage model simplifies operations by making 100% of data immediately accessible. This approach avoids fragile tiering policies that can fail during urgent restores, strengthening your disaster recovery posture. It ensures predictable latencies and consistent read/write performance, which is critical for mixed workloads.
Secure Data Against Threats with Immutable Storage
Ransomware remains a primary threat, with attacks specifically targeting backups in over 15% of incidents. Achieving data resiliency for cloud workloads requires a defense mechanism that makes data tamper-proof. Immutable Storage, using S3 Object Lock, creates a write-once-read-many (WORM) state, preventing data from being altered or deleted by anyone, including administrators. This provides a guaranteed clean copy for recovery, neutralizing ransomware threats.
Effective security also depends on robust access controls. A resilient system must include:
Identity-based IAM with granular, role-driven policies.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC).
Support for external identity providers via SAML/OIDC.
Multi-layer encryption for data both in transit and at rest.
These features work together to create a secure environment, ensuring that your immutable backups are protected by multiple layers of defense. This integrated security posture is fundamental to withstanding modern cyber threats.
Ensure Regulatory Readiness for NIS-2 and the EU Data Act
Upcoming EU regulations place new demands on data management. The NIS-2 Directive, effective from October 2024, mandates stricter cybersecurity risk management and incident reporting across critical sectors. It emphasizes supply-chain assurance, requiring you to verify the security posture of your cloud providers. A provider with continuous patch management and vulnerability scanning baked into its operations helps you meet these obligations by design.
From September 2025, the EU Data Act will enforce data portability and interoperability to prevent vendor lock-in. The act requires providers to facilitate seamless switching, including the transfer of metadata and versions, and phases out all switching charges by 2027. An EU-native provider aligned with these principles gives you a competitive advantage, ensuring you have a proven exit strategy and preserving your long-term freedom of action. This regulatory alignment is a core component of sustainable data durability.
Drive Partner Success with Predictable Economics
For Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and resellers, predictable margins are essential for building profitable services. Over 55% of European organizations report that unpredictable cloud fees, such as egress and API call charges, have delayed strategic initiatives. A transparent pricing model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations removes this volatility. This allows partners to offer Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) and archiving solutions with stable, defensible margins.
A partner-ready platform must also provide the right tools for efficient management. This includes a multi-tenant console with robust RBAC and MFA, full automation via API/CLI, and clear reporting. With fast onboarding and local support through distributors like api in Germany and Northamber plc in the UK, partners can scale their operations quickly. This focus on partner enablement simplifies compliance and accelerates growth in the channel.
Implement a Practical Data Resiliency Strategy
Putting these principles into practice allows you to achieve data resiliency for your cloud workloads. A modern backup strategy, like the 4-2-2 rule, adapts the classic 3-2-1 approach for today's threats. It involves creating four copies of your data, stored on two different media types, with two copies offsite—one of which is immutable and air-gapped. This provides robust protection against both local disasters and widespread cyberattacks.
When migrating to a resilient storage solution, follow a clear checklist:
Confirm full S3 API compatibility for your backup tools and applications.
Update endpoint configurations in your scripts and backup software.
Replicate existing IAM policies and bucket permissions.
Enable Object Lock on new buckets to ensure immutability.
Conduct a test restore of a critical workload to validate the process.
Monitor API performance and latency to confirm service levels.
This structured approach ensures a smooth transition and validates your new, more resilient cloud backup solution. A successful migration is the final step toward achieving true digital sovereignty.
More Links
TeleTrusT provides a comprehensive guide on Cloud Supply Chain Security.
ENISA offers a detailed report on cloud computing.
ENISA provides a document focusing on identity and access management in cloud computing environments.
Europa.eu offers essential information about GDPR and data protection rules for businesses operating in Europe.
The European Commission outlines its policies and initiatives related to cloud computing.
The European Commission details the European data strategy, a key component of the 'Europe Fit for the Digital Age' initiative.
Bitkom discusses the critical need for a sovereign cloud and data infrastructure for Germany and Europe.
FAQ
How does Impossible Cloud ensure my data stays in the EU?
Impossible Cloud is a European company that operates exclusively in certified European data centers. We use country-level geofencing to guarantee your data is stored in your chosen region, ensuring it remains under EU jurisdiction and fully compliant with GDPR. This sovereign-by-design architecture protects you from foreign laws like the U.S. CLOUD Act.
Is your object storage truly S3 compatible?
Yes, we offer full S3 API compatibility. This means your existing applications, backup tools (like Veeam or NovaBackup), scripts, and workflows will continue to operate without any need for code changes. Our platform supports advanced S3 features, ensuring a seamless migration and protecting your prior technology investments.
What makes your pricing model predictable?
Our pricing is designed for transparency and predictability. We charge only for the storage you use, with no egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations. This simple model eliminates the hidden charges common with other providers, allowing you to forecast your budget accurately and avoid vendor lock-in.
How does Object Lock protect my backups from ransomware?
Our Immutable Storage feature uses S3 Object Lock to protect your data. When you enable it, your backups become tamper-proof for a retention period you define. During this time, the data cannot be encrypted, modified, or deleted by anyone—not even an administrator. This provides a guaranteed, uncorrupted copy of your data for recovery in case of a ransomware attack.
What is "Always-Hot" storage?
Our "Always-Hot" storage architecture means all your data is immediately accessible at all times, with no delays or fees for retrieval. Unlike complex tiered systems that move data to slower, cheaper storage, our model simplifies operations, ensures predictable performance for restores, and keeps your third-party tools stable.
How do you support MSPs and channel partners?
We are partner-ready with a predictable pricing model that ensures stable margins. Our platform includes a multi-tenant management console with RBAC and MFA, automation via API/CLI, and clear reporting. With distributors like api (Germany) and Northamber plc (UK), we provide local access and support to help our partners grow.
