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Key Takeaways
- Object Lock immutable storage creates a WORM (Write-Once-Read-Many) copy of data, making it unchangeable and protecting it from ransomware encryption and accidental deletion.
- Immutability is a key technical measure for meeting EU regulations like GDPR and NIS-2, which mandate data integrity and resilience.
- Pairing immutable storage with a transparent pricing model (no egress or API fees) provides predictable costs and stable margins for enterprises and MSPs.
In 2025, European enterprises and MSPs face dual pressures: the demand for 100% data sovereignty and the relentless threat of ransomware, which now impacts 72.7% of organizations globally. Traditional backup methods are no longer sufficient. The key to resilience lies in a modern, EU-centric approach. Object lock immutable storage benefits your organization by creating a permanent, unalterable copy of your data, directly addressing regulatory demands from GDPR and NIS-2 while neutralizing threats. Impossible Cloud provides this capability within a sovereign European framework, eliminating egress fees and simplifying compliance.
Establish Foundational Security with Immutable Storage
Immutable storage creates a Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM) version of your data, which is the industry standard for robust data protection. Once written, data cannot be altered or deleted for a predetermined period, safeguarding it from both external attacks and internal errors. This WORM model ensures that 100% of your archived data remains in its original, tamper-proof state. This capability is foundational for meeting stringent EU compliance rules.
The core mechanism involves applying a time-based retention policy or a legal hold to data objects the moment they are created. For financial firms, regulations like MiFID II require records to be preserved in an unalterable format for a minimum of five years. Immutable storage directly fulfills this, providing a verifiable chain of data integrity. This approach transforms your archive from a simple backup to a defensible and compliant asset, which is a core benefit of object lock immutable storage. It provides the essential security layer for modern data strategies.
Fortify Your Ransomware Defenses with Object Lock
Ransomware attacks are designed to encrypt and lock your data, but they are rendered ineffective against an immutable copy. Since Object Lock prevents any modification or encryption of the original file, a ransomware threat becomes virtually meaningless. Even if attackers gain access, they cannot hold your backups hostage, ensuring you can restore operations with zero data loss. The global average cost of a data breach reached $4.45 million in 2023, a 15% increase over three years.
Implementing a 3-2-1 backup strategy with one immutable copy is a powerful defense that over 80% of security experts recommend. This ensures you always have a clean, uncorrupted version of your data ready for recovery. Immutable backups neutralize the second stage of a ransomware attack: encryption. This makes ransomware protection a primary benefit of object lock immutable storage. This proactive defense is critical as global cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.
Navigate European Regulatory Compliance with Confidence
European regulations like GDPR, NIS-2, and the EU Data Act demand rigorous data protection, integrity, and availability. Immutable storage is a technical measure that directly supports these requirements. For GDPR, Article 32 requires security measures that ensure ongoing confidentiality and integrity; immutable backups provide a perfect example of this. This protects the 6.7 million personal records breached in attacks on education alone.
The NIS-2 Directive, which affects around 30,000 companies in Germany, mandates robust cybersecurity measures, including backup and recovery plans. Immutable storage helps meet these stricter requirements by guaranteeing the integrity of recovery data. Furthermore, the EU Data Act, applicable from September 2025, emphasizes data portability and aims to prevent vendor lock-in. Using an S3-compatible service with no egress fees aligns perfectly with this principle, ensuring you maintain control over your data. This makes regulatory readiness a key advantage.
Unlock Economic and Operational Efficiency
Complex storage tiering often creates hidden costs and operational friction, with restore delays and unexpected API call fees. Impossible Cloud’s “Always-Hot” architecture eliminates this complexity entirely. All data is immediately accessible, which simplifies operations for the 75% of EU enterprises expected to use advanced cloud services by 2030. This model avoids the fragility of lifecycle policies that can fail during urgent restores.
A transparent pricing model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration provides predictable economics. This allows for up to 80% cost savings compared to hyperscaler models with variable fees. For MSPs, this predictability translates directly to stable, defensible margins on backup-as-a-service offerings. This clear economic model is one of the most practical object lock immutable storage benefits for budget-conscious IT leaders.
Empower MSPs and Channel Partners with Predictable Value
For Managed Service Providers, predictable margins are essential for growth, and immutable storage offers a clear path to achieving them. By eliminating egress fees and API charges, Impossible Cloud enables MSPs to build profitable BaaS and DRaaS solutions. The platform is partner-ready, featuring a multi-tenant console with robust IAM controls, MFA, and RBAC for secure client management. This is critical for the 43% of cyberattacks that target small businesses.
Our expanding distribution network makes it easier for partners across Europe to deliver sovereign storage solutions. Key 2025 milestones include our partnerships with:
- api in Germany: Expanding access for the German IT channel.
- Northamber plc in the UK: Our first distributor serving the United Kingdom.
This growing ecosystem, combined with out-of-the-box integrations with tools like Veeam and NovaBackup, allows partners to onboard clients in under 60 minutes. This rapid deployment capability accelerates time-to-revenue for our partners.
Implement a Practical 3-Step Path to Data Integrity
Adopting immutable storage is a straightforward process that yields immediate security returns. A 3-step approach ensures a successful deployment for 100% of your critical data. This strategy enhances your disaster recovery posture significantly.
- Define Retention Policies: Determine how long data must be kept unchangeable based on regulatory and business needs. For example, financial records under MiFID II may require a 7-year retention period.
- Enable Object Lock on New Buckets: When creating a storage bucket, enable the Object Lock feature. This setting cannot be changed later, ensuring all data written to the bucket inherits the immutability policy.
- Configure Backup Jobs: Point your existing S3-compatible backup software to the new, locked bucket. Leading tools recognize the immutability flag and manage the data flow seamlessly.
- Test Your Recovery Plan: Regularly perform test restores to validate the integrity of your immutable backups. This ensures you can recover data within your required RTO, which is under 24 hours for most businesses.
Following these four steps provides a clear path to leveraging the full benefits of object lock immutable storage. This proactive stance is essential when 60% of small businesses shut down within six months of a cyberattack.
More Links
German Federal Ministry of Defence provides insights into digital sovereignty.
German Bundestag offers a news item related to digital sovereignty.
de.digital presents a PDF publication on digital sovereignty as part of the Digitalization Index.
German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action provides a document with parliamentary inquiries, potentially on digital sovereignty.
BWI discusses digital sovereignty for Germany and Europe, balancing autarky and dependency.
Wikipedia offers a general overview and definition of digital sovereignty.
FAQ
What is the difference between Governance and Compliance mode in Object Lock?
In Governance mode, users with special permissions can override or remove retention settings. In Compliance mode, no one, not even the root account, can alter or remove the retention lock until the specified period expires, providing the highest level of immutability.
Does immutable storage prevent data theft?
Immutable storage does not prevent data from being read or accessed. Its purpose is to prevent data from being changed or deleted. To prevent data theft, you must use other security controls like encryption, strong access policies (IAM), and geofencing.
How does Impossible Cloud's pricing for immutable storage work?
Our pricing is transparent and predictable. We charge only for the storage you use, with no egress fees, no API call charges, and no minimum storage durations, making it easy to budget for your backup and archival needs.
Can I apply Object Lock to an existing storage bucket?
Object Lock must be enabled when a bucket is first created. It cannot be applied to an existing bucket that was created without this feature enabled. This ensures the integrity of all data within the bucket from its inception.
What does 'Always-Hot' storage mean?
Always-Hot' means all your data is immediately accessible without any delays or extra fees for retrieval. Unlike tiered storage that moves data to 'cold' archives, our model ensures every object, regardless of age, is ready for instant recovery.
How does Impossible Cloud ensure data sovereignty?
We are a European company that operates exclusively in certified European data centers. We offer country-level geofencing to ensure your data stays within predefined EU regions, helping you comply with GDPR and avoid CLOUD Act exposure.