SPRING 2024 // Canadian Government Executive / 19 American companies they are subject to the US CLOUD Act. In its Data Law blog, Microsoft states, “The CLOUD Act amends US law to make clear that law enforcement may compel US-based service providers to disclose data that is in their ‘possession, custody, or control’ regardless of where the data is located.”4 This means that data stored on US platforms such as Azure, Google, and AWS can be subject to a warrant or subpoena by the US federal government.5 And it puts Canadian data privacy at risk. Here’s what a fully compliant CSP should provide: • Cloud services aligned with Canadian government regulations, reducing legal risks and ensuring seamless compliance. • Streamlined audits that ensure compliance with Canadian laws. • All data managed within Canadian boundaries. A true north strong solution: Protecting Canadian sovereignty Canadians should have confidence that their personal information will be safe when they access public services. Ensuring data privacy and compliance fosters public trust and builds a strong and free society, able to function efficiently without fear of foreign interference. As a Canadian-owned and -operated company, ThinkOn is an exclusive Canadian provider with the contractual capability to sell and deliver cloud-based data management services to support both Federal Government Sensitive (PBMM) workloads and workloads from other levels of public sector entities in Canada. Data sovereignty is our best defence against foreign interference To protect our freedoms and Canadian values, we need to keep our data in Canada, where local laws and regulations will restrict foreign access. At ThinkOn, we work with a select group of trusted partners. We don’t hide their identities because it’s important for you to know who has access to your data. With ThinkOn’s Canadian Sovereign Cloud, we guarantee a Canadian-only approach to data management that ensures all data remains within Canadian borders. ThinkOn’s true sovereign cloud is operated by domestic cloud providers who offer dedicated cloud storage that complies with Canadian privacy laws. Being local means we can respond faster to security threats, data privacy rule changes, and shifts in the political landscape. Protecting Canadian sovereignty: What you need to ask your CSP Asking your cloud provider straighttalk questions makes the difference between maintaining control over your data or sacrificing your data privacy: 1. Is my data protected from foreign third parties in storage, transit, and during access? 2. Is my cloud provider certified to manage Protected B data in Canada? 3. Is my cloud provider compliant with the Canadian PBMM framework agreement? 4. Can my cloud provider provide full transparency on where their affiliates are located? 5. Is data managed by my CSP subject to the US Cloud Act or other foreign legislation? If your CSP can’t—or won’t—answer these questions, they aren’t providing a true Canadian Sovereign Cloud. Invest in homegrown talent to support domestic supply chains ThinkOn is 100 percent Canadianowned. We hire Canadians to manage our public service clients’ data, ensuring secure access within our borders. Our customer service is provided by local compliance experts who understand changing Canadian laws and industry regulations. Here at ThinkOn, we understand the importance of homegrown solutions and technology advancements. As part of our mandate to support advanced research and development, and contribute to Canada’s skills development, ThinkOn has partnered with Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario to open a Global Security Event Operations Centre (SOC) run by a Canadian research and response team. Our association with Canadore is an investment in developing home-grown talent, offering opportunities to skilled Canadian cybersecurity students and contributing to the future of the Canadian technology industry and Canadian data sovereignty. Learn how to protect Canadian data sovereignty in our ThinkOn Data Sovereignty blog series or listen to the Cloud First to Cloud Smart podcast on CGE Radio. About ThinkOn: Think On, Inc. is a Canadian-owned and -operated company. With data centres across Canada, ThinkOn is the only Canadian CSP capable of offering complete data sovereignty to the Government of Canada, including secure operational supply chain sovereignty. We are PBMM certified and the first Canadian VMware Sovereign Cloud partner, providing the most secure environment for Canadian data. References: 1. Government of Canada. Transport Canada. 2024. “Government of Canada invests in projects in Quebec to improve supply chains.” https:// www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/ news/2024/01/government-of-canada-invests-in-projects-in-quebec-toimprove-supply-chains.html 2. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. “Government of Canada White Paper: Data Sovereignty and Public Cloud” https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/ digital-government-innovations/ cloud-services/gc-white-paper-datasovereignty-public-cloud.html 3. Ibid. 4. Microsoft. “About our practices and your data.” https://blogs.microsoft. com/datalaw/our-practices/#howmany-enterprise-cloud-impacted 5. The US Department of Justice. “The Purpose and Impact of the Cloud Act,” https://www.justice.gov/criminaloia/page/file/1153466/download Sponsored Content PERSPECTIVE ThinkOn’s true sovereign cloud is operated by domestic cloud providers who offer dedicated cloud storage that complies with Canadian privacy laws.
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