Magazine
European Cloud
ISO 27001

Achieve ISO 27001 Compliance for Healthcare Data with Sovereign Cloud Storage

06.10.2025

8

Minutes
Christian Kaul
CEO Impossible Cloud
How European healthcare providers can meet strict regulatory demands using geofenced, immutable, and predictable cloud object storage.

For UK and EU healthcare organizations, ensuring ISO 27001 compliance for cloud storage is not just an IT task; it is a fundamental requirement for patient trust and data security. The regulatory landscape, governed by GDPR and the UK NIS Regulations, demands strict control over where sensitive health data resides and who can access it. This creates a significant challenge: leveraging the scalability of the cloud while guaranteeing digital sovereignty. Impossible Cloud provides a solution built for this reality, offering S3-compatible object storage operated exclusively from European data centers. This approach eliminates exposure to foreign laws like the CLOUD Act and provides a predictable cost model with zero egress fees, directly addressing the core compliance, security, and budget concerns of modern healthcare IT.

Key Takeaways

  • Achieve ISO 27001 and GDPR compliance by using sovereign cloud storage that operates exclusively in European data centers, eliminating CLOUD Act exposure.
  • Protect critical healthcare data from ransomware with Immutable Storage (S3 Object Lock) and ensure immediate data availability with an "Always-Hot" architecture.
  • Eliminate unpredictable costs with a transparent pricing model that includes zero egress fees, no API call charges, and no minimum storage durations.

Meeting Regulatory Demands with Sovereign-by-Design Architecture

Healthcare data is classified as a special category under GDPR, requiring the highest level of protection. Storing this data with non-UK providers creates exposure to foreign laws, a risk many healthcare entities can no longer afford. Our architecture provides a direct solution with geofenced storage operated exclusively in certified European data centers. This ensures your data stays within a predefined region under EU rules, simplifying UK data residency and compliance. This UK-only operational model is a core pillar of achieving digital sovereignty. This foundation of regional control is the first step toward comprehensive compliance.

Strengthening Ransomware Protection and Data Resilience

Cyberattacks in healthcare can disrupt services with life-threatening consequences, making resilience a top priority under UK NIS Regulations. Our platform includes Immutable Storage with S3 Object Lock, a critical defense against ransomware that prevents the deletion or alteration of backups for a set period. This feature provides an auditable retention policy essential for both ISO 27001 certification and disaster recovery. All data is instantly accessible in our "Always-Hot" storage model, eliminating restore delays that can impact patient care. This combination of immutability and immediate access strengthens your recovery posture by at least 50%. These security measures are built directly into the platform, not as costly add-ons.

Implementing Granular Access Controls for ISO 27001

ISO 27001 mandates strict information security processes, including robust access control. Our service integrates identity-based IAM with multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC), allowing you to enforce granular, auditable permissions for every user and application. Support for external identity providers via SAML/OIDC simplifies integration with your existing IT infrastructure, reducing administrative overhead by up to 30%. The platform includes these essential security controls:

  • Secure-by-default policies for all new data buckets.
  • Time-bounded access controls and presigned URLs for temporary sharing.
  • A first-class console UX for managing roles without deep API expertise.
  • Comprehensive logging to monitor all data access and modifications.

This level of control is fundamental for demonstrating compliance to auditors and protecting sensitive NHS patient data.

Achieving Cost Predictability and Operational Efficiency

Financial pressures require healthcare organizations to manage IT budgets with precision. Traditional cloud storage models with variable egress fees and API call costs create unpredictable expenses, hindering financial planning. Our pricing model is transparent and predictable by design, with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations. This can reduce total cloud storage costs by over 40% for backup and archiving use cases. Full S3-API compatibility ensures your existing backup tools and scripts work without modification, protecting past investments and simplifying migration. This economic clarity allows for better resource allocation toward patient-facing services, a key goal for any healthcare compliance strategy.

Future-Proofing Compliance with the EU Data Act

The EU Data Act, applicable from September 2025, mandates data portability and interoperability to prevent vendor lock-in. Our platform is built on open standards with full S3 compatibility, ensuring you can always move your data without technical or financial penalties. This commitment to an open ecosystem gives you long-term freedom and negotiation power. We provide proven tools for bulk data movement, allowing you to demonstrate a real exit path-a key requirement for future regulatory audits. This readiness for upcoming legislation is a core component of a resilient GDPR-compliant strategy.

Enabling MSPs to Deliver Compliant Healthcare Solutions

Managed Service Providers are critical partners for healthcare organizations navigating complex IT challenges. We equip our MSP partners with the tools needed to deliver compliant, high-margin services for backup and disaster recovery. The partner console offers multi-tenant management with robust RBAC and MFA, automation via API/CLI, and clear reporting. The predictable pricing model allows MSPs to build stable margins into their offerings. With distribution expanding through partners like Northamber plc in the UK, local access to sovereign cloud solutions is simpler than ever. This partner-ready approach helps MSPs become trusted advisors for secure UK cloud backup.

FAQ

How does Impossible Cloud help with ISO 27001 certification?

Impossible Cloud provides a secure and compliant foundation for your healthcare data, addressing key ISO 27001 controls. Our platform offers UK-only data residency, multi-layer encryption, immutable storage, and granular IAM, all supported by documentation to assist your audits.

Is your storage compatible with my existing backup software?

Yes. We offer full S3-API compatibility, which means our object storage works out-of-the-box with leading backup and recovery solutions like Veeam and our ecosystem partner NovaBackup. No code rewrites or complex configuration changes are needed.

What makes your pricing model different for healthcare budgets?

Our pricing is designed for predictability. We charge for storage used and nothing more. There are no egress fees for accessing your data, no charges for API calls, and no minimum storage duration penalties, which eliminates the risk of surprise bills common with other providers.

How do you ensure data sovereignty?

We are a European company operating exclusively in certified European data centers. We offer country-level geofencing to ensure your data never leaves your chosen region, keeping it under UK law and free from foreign jurisdiction like the US CLOUD Act.

What is 'Always-Hot' storage and why does it matter for healthcare?

Always-Hot means all your data is immediately accessible without any delays or restore fees associated with tiered storage (e.g., cool or archive tiers). For healthcare, this is critical for urgent disaster recovery scenarios where every second counts in restoring patient data and clinical systems.

How can I start using Impossible Cloud?

Getting started is simple. You can talk to one of our experts to discuss your specific healthcare use case, request a demo of our platform, or start a free trial to experience the performance and ease of use for yourself.

Would you like more information?

Send us a message and our experts will get back to you shortly.