Glossary
Sovereign cloud
Definition
A sovereign cloud is a cloud service built to keep data, operations and legal control within a specific jurisdiction, usually with local operation and limits on foreign access.
Why it matters when you’re buying
For government and regulated sectors, data residency alone may not be enough: who operates the service and which laws apply matter too. Ask who holds the encryption keys, where support staff sit and which legal orders the operator must obey.
How it relates to other terms
Sovereign services often sit within a hybrid cloud estate for the workloads that need them, and they change where the shared responsibility line falls.
Where to go next
- Cloud Infrastructure: news, companies and community questions
- How to evaluate Cloud Infrastructure vendors: criteria, questions to ask and red flags
- Sovereign cloud and data residency: the latest stories and threads on this topic
Written by Techarda editors · Updated . Think a definition is wrong or missing something? Email engage@techarda.com. All terms.