The digital world is changing at an unprecedented pace, and with it the challenges facing Dutch organizations. Themes such as data sovereignty, cybersecurity and business continuity are crucial to ensuring independence and resilience. The past teaches us that dependence on foreign technologies and a reactive attitude to cyber threats has made us vulnerable. The question is whether we have learned from these lessons to develop a future-proof strategy.
In the past, data was often treated as an afterthought, with no strategic value. Dutch organizations relied massively on foreign hyperscalers, leading to legal complications such as non-compliance with GDPR and geopolitical risks under the U.S. CLOUD Act and hunger for data from state actors and its affiliated hacker groups.
A renewed sense of urgency
Bert Hubert, a leading expert on data sovereignty, stressed the importance of independence from foreign technologies once again this week. Relying on foreign hyperscalers exposes us to legal and geopolitical risks and weakens our digital autonomy. Business continuity was also underestimated. The lack of robust plans often led to business downtime, loss of customer confidence and significant financial losses.
Today, we are seeing greater awareness. The importance of data sovereignty is increasingly getting the attention it deserves. Combining innovations in one software stack including zero knowledge, data splitting, hybrid encryption technology and geo-local cloud control can enable organizations to keep their data within (inter)national boundaries and comply with directives such as NIS2, DORA and EUCS. Cybersecurity is now higher on the agenda, such as self-healing networks and post-quantum cryptography that not only protect against current threats, but also anticipate future risks. Continuity has now become a strategic priority. Companies are investing in automated data replication to ensure that their operations continue even in crisis situations without loss of functionality or data.
Data security revolution
What makes it special is that organizations can now achieve more with fewer resources. Thanks to fully automated and scalable technologies now entering the Dutch market. This allows organizations with smaller budgets to still implement high-quality solutions for data sovereignty, cybersecurity and continuity. Automatic configuration, real-time data security and tools that are easy to integrate into existing systems enable companies to drastically reduce complexity and costs. Where previously hefty investments in hardware, specialized expertise and lengthy implementations were required, modern technologies now offer easy-to-use solutions that are immediately operational and meet the most stringent standards.
Cybersecurity budgets are rising in 2025 as businesses and governments realize that digital security is an indispensable pillar for economic growth and social stability. Yet this does not mean that organizations must spend more to achieve data sovereignty and continuity. By opting for smart, modular solutions, companies with a relatively small budget can gain access to the same advanced technologies previously accessible only to large organizations. Even as an organization grows, a modular approach unburdens in scaling up without having to free up large budgets. Or a commonly heard transition model where an entire organization has to switch to future encryptions, that leads to an inflexible infrastructure with major consequences in case of complications or a subsequent migration due to future threats.
Resilient Dutch solutions
The future offers the Dutch industry a unique opportunity to show leadership in the aforementioned areas. With advanced technology and a focus on innovation, Dutch organizations can not only meet but exceed international standards.
The key to all this lies in our own backyard. Innovative Dutch technologies offer solutions that put data sovereignty, cybersecurity and continuity at the center. With scalable and advanced technologies, organizations can operate independently and resiliently, without the need for a large budget. The lessons of the past are clear: It is time to put faith in our own innovations and build the future on a foundation of Dutch technology. In doing so, we can not only secure our sovereignty, but also set an example for the rest of Europe.
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