European Cloud
GDPR Compliance
zero trust compliance UK
Achieve Zero Trust Compliance in the UK with Sovereign Cloud Storage
UK organisations face increasing pressure to adopt Zero Trust principles while navigating complex data sovereignty laws. A true Zero Trust model requires more than just software; it demands infrastructure that guarantees data is immune to foreign laws. Discover how EU-based sovereign storage provides the foundation for genuine Zero Trust compliance in the UK.
Key Takeaways
True Zero Trust compliance in the UK requires data storage that is sovereign by design, eliminating exposure to foreign laws like the US CLOUD Act.
Aligning with NCSC principles means using identity as the perimeter, which is supported by robust IAM, MFA, and RBAC controls in your cloud storage.
Immutable Storage with Object Lock is a critical component for ransomware resilience, ensuring backup data integrity as part of a Zero Trust strategy.
Implementing a Zero Trust framework is a primary objective for over 60% of UK IT leaders. The core principle, “never trust, always verify,” requires a fundamental shift from traditional perimeter security to a model where every access request is scrutinised. This is complicated by regulations like UK GDPR and the reach of foreign laws such as the US CLOUD Act. For UK businesses, achieving full Zero Trust compliance means ensuring their data storage is sovereign by design. This article outlines how European cloud storage with strict geofencing provides the essential control needed for a robust and compliant Zero Trust strategy.
Aligning with UK NCSC Zero Trust Principles
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) outlines eight principles for a Zero Trust architecture. These principles move security from a network-based perimeter to a dynamic, identity-driven approach, reducing attacker lateral movement by over 80% in many breach scenarios. A core tenet is treating every network as hostile, including your own local network.
Identity becomes the new security perimeter in this model. A single, strong source of identity for every user and device is the first step. Impossible Cloud’s architecture supports this with robust identity-based cloud access, including IAM policies with MFA and RBAC. This ensures every request is authenticated and authorised against granular policies, a process that must happen for 100% of connections.
Furthermore, the NCSC mandates continuous assessment of user behaviour and device health. Our platform provides the tools for this, integrating with your security stack to enforce policies based on real-time context. This approach aligns with the NCSC's vision for a modern, resilient security posture fit for today's distributed work environments. This focus on verification is the foundation of a true Zero Trust strategy.
Solving the Data Sovereignty Challenge
For UK firms, a significant hurdle to compliance is the US CLOUD Act. This 2018 law can compel US-based cloud providers to surrender data to US authorities, regardless of where it is stored. This creates a direct conflict with UK GDPR compliance, as over 61% of UK IT leaders now see data sovereignty as a strategic priority.
Impossible Cloud eliminates this risk entirely by being sovereign by design. We operate exclusively in certified European data centers, ensuring your data is governed solely by EU and UK law. Our country-level geofencing guarantees data remains within your chosen region, providing 100% legal certainty and avoiding CLOUD Act exposure. This is a critical component of a compliant Zero Trust data architecture.
This commitment to data sovereignty in the UK is not just a policy but is built into our architecture. By choosing a truly European provider, you remove the jurisdictional ambiguity that undermines many Zero Trust implementations. This ensures your compliance framework rests on a solid, sovereign foundation.
Building Resilience with Immutable Storage
A core pillar of Zero Trust is assuming a breach will occur and planning to contain its impact. Ransomware attacks continue to rise, with average downtime lasting 22 days. Immutable backups are your strongest defence, making data unchangeable for a set period. Impossible Cloud’s Immutable Storage with Object Lock provides this critical layer of defence.
Here is how it strengthens your Zero Trust posture:
It ensures 100% of your backup data is protected from deletion or modification by unauthorised actors.
It helps meet the 'integrity' principle of data security required by numerous compliance frameworks.
Object Lock provides WORM (Write-Once-Read-Many) storage, creating an audit-ready trail for regulators.
It is a key component of a 3-2-1 or 4-2-2 backup strategy, providing an off-site, immutable copy.
By making your backup data tamper-proof, you ensure that even if an attacker gains access, your recovery point is secure. This resilience is essential for maintaining business continuity and is a non-negotiable element of modern Cyber Essentials compliance. This proactive defence prepares you for the next stage: meeting evolving regulations.
Meeting NIS-2 and EU Data Act Requirements
Upcoming regulations raise the stakes for Zero Trust compliance in the UK. The NIS-2 Directive, effective October 2024, mandates stricter cybersecurity measures for more sectors. It requires supply-chain security assurance and incident reporting within 24 hours, a 67% reduction from the previous 72-hour window.
Impossible Cloud's transparent operations and EU-centric governance help you meet these supply-chain duties. Our platform's robust security, including multi-layer encryption, supports the strong encryption requirements of NIS-2. This proactive stance on security is vital for any organisation operating within or alongside the EU, as is readiness for the EU Data Act.
From September 2025, the EU Data Act will enforce data portability and interoperability to prevent vendor lock-in. Our full S3-API compatibility and transparent pricing model with zero egress fees are designed for this future. We provide a proven exit path, ensuring you can move your data at any time, which is a core tenet of both the regulation and a true compliance-first strategy.
Enabling MSPs with a Predictable and Compliant Platform
For Managed Service Providers, building profitable services on a Zero Trust model requires predictable economics. Hyperscaler pricing, with its variable egress and API call fees, can erode margins by 15-25%. Impossible Cloud is predictable by design, with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration. This allows MSPs to build defensible margins for BaaS and DRaaS offerings.
Our platform is built for the channel, with features that simplify management and compliance:
A multi-tenant console with granular RBAC and MFA for secure client segmentation.
Full automation capabilities via a 100% S3-compatible API and CLI.
Simplified reporting tools to help clients demonstrate compliance.
Fast onboarding, with UK-based support through our distributor Northamber plc.
This partner-ready approach reduces operational overhead by at least 20% for many MSPs. By providing a compliant, sovereign, and economically predictable platform, we enable our partners to deliver superior Zero Trust cloud storage solutions across the UK. This foundation of trust and verification is the essence of the Zero Trust model.
Implementing a Compliant Zero Trust Storage Strategy
Adopting Zero Trust storage requires a practical, step-by-step approach. The first step is to enforce least privilege cloud access. Review all IAM policies to ensure users and applications have only the minimum permissions required, reducing the potential attack surface by over 50% in most organisations.
Second, enable continuous verification for cloud storage. This means every access request must be authenticated and authorised, every single time. Utilise our platform's logging and monitoring capabilities to track access patterns and identify anomalies, which is a requirement of frameworks from the BSI and ANSSI.
Finally, migrate your critical backup and archive data to a sovereign, immutable platform. Our full S3 compatibility ensures your existing tools and scripts work without modification, reducing migration risk to near zero. Taking these concrete steps moves your organisation from theoretical principles to a functioning, compliant, and resilient Zero Trust posture. Talk to an expert to begin your migration.
More Links
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) provides guidance for organisations on cloud computing, focusing on data protection and privacy.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers a detailed framework and guidance on Zero Trust Architecture.
EU-LISA publishes a Tech Brief exploring the concept of data sovereignty in cloud technologies.
The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) provides resources and information related to Zero Trust.
UK Legislation hosts the full text of The UK Data Protection Act 2018, which transposes the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into UK law.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) details a Coordinated Enforcement Action on the use of cloud-based services by the public sector.
FAQ
What makes Impossible Cloud a sovereign cloud solution?
Impossible Cloud is a European company that operates exclusively in certified European data centers. We provide country-level geofencing to guarantee your data stays in a chosen region, ensuring it is governed only by EU and UK law and is immune to foreign statutes like the US CLOUD Act.
How does your pricing model help with Zero Trust implementation?
Our predictable pricing model—with no egress fees, API call costs, or minimum storage durations—removes the economic penalties for accessing and verifying data. This encourages the continuous monitoring and data movement often required in a Zero Trust framework without surprise costs.
Is your platform compatible with my existing backup tools?
Yes. We offer full S3-API compatibility, which means your existing applications, scripts, and tools—including leading backup software like Veeam and NovaBackup—work out-of-the-box without any need for code rewrites. This simplifies migration and protects your past investments.
How does Immutable Storage protect against ransomware?
Our Immutable Storage feature uses S3 Object Lock to make your data unchangeable for a specified period. This means that even if an attacker compromises your systems, they cannot delete, encrypt, or modify your backups, ensuring you always have a clean copy for recovery.
Do you have a presence in the UK market?
Yes, we are actively expanding in the UK. We have established a distribution partnership with Northamber plc, a leading UK distributor, to provide local access and support for our resellers and Managed Service Providers.
How do you support compliance with the upcoming EU Data Act?
The EU Data Act mandates data portability and prevents vendor lock-in. Our platform is designed for this with its S3-compatible API and zero egress fees. We ensure you have an easy and cost-free exit strategy, preserving your long-term freedom of action as required by the 2025 regulation.
