A major tech industry body, BSA The Software Alliance, has urged G7 nations to harmonize cloud security certifications, aiming to promote global cooperation and counter the trend of keeping data within national borders.
Representing tech giants like Microsoft and IBM, BSA advocates for a unified approach to reduce the compliance burden on cloud service providers while ensuring high security standards.
“We encourage governments to look at where their cloud requirements are effectively the same, but using different language,” said Aaron Cooper, BSA’s Senior VP of Global Policy. He added that greater consistency could help dispel the belief that data localisation enhances security.
Cloud computing, vital for AI and large-scale data processing, has prompted global governments to impose certification requirements to address cyber risks. However, certain nations, like France, advocate for geographic limitations on sensitive data storage, a stance that has delayed the EU’s cybersecurity standard (EUCS).
BSA opposes this approach, pushing for closer cooperation among security agencies in friendly nations, which could provide more secure cloud options and ease market access for cloud companies.