Navigate Data Sovereignty and the US CLOUD Act

The US CLOUD Act of 2018 grants US authorities extraterritorial reach to compel US-based tech companies to provide data. This applies even when data is stored in UK or UK data centres, affecting a majority of hyperscale cloud providers. For a UK law firm, this creates a significant risk of data exposure that conflicts with client confidentiality and UK GDPR.

A sovereign-by-design approach offers a direct solution to this jurisdictional challenge. By choosing a 100% EU-owned and operated provider, your data remains governed exclusively by EU rules. This removes the legal ambiguity created by the CLOUD Act entirely. Our platform ensures client data is shielded from foreign government access requests through strict, country-level geofenced storage.

This strategy directly aligns with the SRA's long-standing guidance, which emphasizes due diligence on provider location and data protection guarantees. Adopting a true UK-based cloud ensures you have a defensible position on data sovereignty for all your 2025 audits. This focus on jurisdictional integrity is the first step toward a compliant cloud strategy.

Meet UK GDPR and SRA Compliance Mandates by Design

Under UK GDPR, law firms are data controllers with a duty to ensure the security and integrity of personal data. The ICO outlines several core principles, including purpose limitation, data minimisation, and protection against unauthorised processing. Using a cloud provider subject to third-country laws complicates demonstrating 100% compliance with these principles.

An EU-native cloud platform provides compliance as a core feature, not an add-on. Data is protected with multi-layer encryption both in transit and at rest within certified European data centers. Our architecture eliminates single points of failure, supporting your duty of care. You can confidently meet your obligations with a clear data processing agreement under UK law.

Furthermore, features like granular Identity and Access Management (IAM) with multi-factor authentication map directly to the SRA's expectations for controlling data access. This ensures that only authorised personnel can interact with sensitive client files, providing a complete audit trail. This built-in compliance framework simplifies regulatory adherence.

Prepare for the EU Data Act and UK NIS Regulations

The regulatory landscape continues to evolve, with two key UK regulations impacting UK firms with EU operations or clients. The EU Data Act, fully effective from September 2025, mandates data portability and interoperability to prevent vendor lock-in. It requires cloud providers to offer a clear exit path for all data and metadata.

Simultaneously, the UK NIS Regulations imposes stricter cybersecurity and supply-chain assurance requirements on UK firms providing services into the EU. It demands a documented approach to risk management, including the security posture of your third-party suppliers, such as cloud providers. Choosing a UK NIS Regulations aligned partner is a proactive compliance step.

A sovereign cloud platform is designed for this future. Here is how it aligns with these 2 new regulations:

• EU Data Act Readiness: Full S3 compatibility and zero egress fees ensure you can move data at any time without penalty, satisfying portability rules from day one.
• UK NIS Regulations Supply Chain Security: Our platform provides robust, documented security processes, from patch management to incident reporting, helping you meet your due diligence obligations.
• Continuous Compliance: Operations are aligned with GDPR, the Data Act, and UK NIS Regulations, providing a single, future-proof solution for your sovereign cloud needs.
• Transparent Operations: We provide clear service level agreements (SLAs) and security documentation to support your internal risk assessments.

This forward-looking approach ensures your cloud strategy remains compliant for years to come.

Build a Resilient Defence Against Ransomware

The legal sector is a high-value target for ransomware, with attacks causing reputational damage and operational paralysis in over 70% of cases. A robust backup strategy is essential, but backups themselves are now targeted by attackers. Standard cloud storage is not enough to guarantee recovery.

Immutable storage with Object Lock is the industry's gold standard for ransomware protection. It allows you to make backup data unchangeable and undeletable for a set period, creating a 100% reliable recovery point. Even if an attacker gains administrative access, they cannot encrypt or wipe the immutable backups.

This feature transforms your backup from a simple copy to a guaranteed recovery asset. It is a core component of a modern 3-2-1 backup strategy and a critical tool for business continuity. Implementing immutable backups is one of the most effective technical controls a law firm can deploy. This resilience is vital for protecting firm and client data.

Ensure Seamless Operations with 100% S3 Compatibility

Adopting a new cloud storage solution should not require a complete overhaul of your existing IT workflows. Many law firms have invested thousands of pounds in backup software, archiving tools, and custom scripts. The cost and risk of re-engineering these systems can be a major barrier to switching providers.

Full S3 API compatibility eliminates this challenge entirely. It ensures your existing applications and tools continue to work without any code rewrites, protecting your past investments. Our platform supports not just basic operations but also advanced S3 features like versioning and lifecycle management.

An "Always-Hot" storage model further simplifies operations. Here is why it is superior to complex tiering:

1. Immediate Access: All data is instantly accessible with no restore delays or fees, which is critical during a disaster recovery scenario.
2. Predictable Performance: It avoids API timeouts and application failures common with tiered storage when restoring large volumes of data.
3. Simplified Management: You no longer need to manage complex lifecycle policies, reducing administrative overhead by at least 15%.
4. Stable Integrations: Third-party tools like Veeam and NovaBackup operate reliably without errors caused by data being in an inaccessible tier.

This focus on operational consistency ensures a smooth migration and reliable daily performance for all your data residency solutions.

Drive Predictable Economics and Partner Value

Cloud budget overruns are a common pain point, with unpredictable egress fees and API call costs driving up expenses by as much as 40%. For law firms and the Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that support them, this economic uncertainty makes financial planning difficult. A transparent cost model is a competitive advantage.

A predictable-by-design pricing model with zero egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage durations changes the dynamic. This allows you to forecast your storage costs with 100% accuracy. For MSPs, it enables the creation of stable, high-margin Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) offerings for legal clients.

With the addition of UK distributor Northamber plc in 2025, local access for resellers and MSPs is simpler than ever. The partner-ready console includes multi-tenant management and automation tools to streamline client onboarding. This economic clarity and channel support make it the ideal platform for UK GDPR-compliant file sharing and backup. A conversation with an expert can clarify these benefits.