28/01/2025 – Madrid
On January 28th, European Data Protection Day is celebrated to raise awareness and promote best practices around privacy and data protection. In a context of exponential data growth, driven by technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing, data protection has become a crucial element. According to IDC, the global digital data volume is expected to reach 175 zettabytes by 2025, highlighting the need to strengthen privacy and cybersecurity strategies at all levels. European providers like Stackscale also emphasize the importance of data sovereignty and the development of European technological services.
On January 28th, European Data Protection Day is celebrated to commemorate the first legally binding international data protection instrument, adopted in the Council of Europe’s Convention 108 on the same day in 1981.
Both data privacy and protection are a growing source of concern among institutions, companies and citizens. This points out the value of supporting the development of European technological solutions and services that respect and promote the European Union’s fundamental values. As well as promoting the development of projects strengthening the EU’s digital sovereignty. Like the Gaia-X initiative, focused on European digital sovereignty.
Gaia-X, established in 2019, aims to create a European cloud infrastructure that ensures digital sovereignty through ethical standards in data management. Additionally, other initiatives like Horizon Europe fund innovative projects in cybersecurity and data protection technologies to strengthen the continent’s digital resilience.
On this subject, the European Union establishes diverse goals to reach by 2030 within its Digital Decade program, such as achieving that at least 80% of Europe’s population has basic digital skills, that 100% of essential public services are available online for citizens and businesses, or that cloud adoption among EU companies reaches 75% — which entails an increase above 30% compared with the average adoption rate of 2021.
Furthermore, with a 38% increase in the number of weekly cyberattacks on corporate networks compared to 2021, according to Check Point Research data, data protection and Disaster Recovery planning continue to go up in the list of business priorities. Not only from the point of view of protecting personal, confidential and critical data to prevent access by unauthorized people or purposes, but also from the point of view of durability.
Additionally, sanctions under the GDPR have driven companies to strengthen their privacy policies. Since 2018, fines exceeding €1.6 billion have been imposed, including notable cases involving major tech companies penalized for opaque data handling practices. This underscores the importance of compliance, not only to avoid penalties but also to safeguard corporate reputation.
According to experts, security and privacy are fundamental at all levels. David Carrero of Stackscale explains that:
«It is essential to address security at both technical and organizational levels, covering infrastructure, storage, and networks, as well as geo-replication, data encryption, and identity management. This is particularly important during digital transformation and cloud migration processes, where the decentralization of data and workloads requires new approaches and security models, such as Zero Trust, with a focus on enhancing the protection of data and applications regardless of location. Leveraging hybrid or private cloud infrastructures allows companies to ensure data sovereignty while benefiting from scalability. Technologies like geo-replication and end-to-end encryption are crucial for complying with regulations such as the GDPR and ensuring data integrity in decentralized environments.»
In regards to the digitalization of European companies, according to Eurostat data, 56% of them had reached a basic digital intensity level in 2021 — with a significant difference between SMEs (55%) and big companies (88%). This percentage is still far from the Digital Decade program’s objective, according to which more than 90% of SMEs should have reached a basic level of digital intensity by 2030. Moreover, only 18% of them have reached a high level.
SMEs, which represent 99% of the European business landscape, face additional challenges in achieving digitalization. Limited resources and technical expertise hinder their ability to implement advanced cybersecurity technologies, leaving them more vulnerable. According to ENISA, 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses, emphasizing the need to adopt affordable and effective security measures.
Aiming to offer high-end technological solutions and help companies throughout their digital transformation, Grupo Aire, to which Stackscale belongs, comprehends a wide range of cloud, connectivity and business continuity products which place data protection and sovereignty at the core of the digital strategy.
For further information, please contact us via our contact form. At Stackscale, we work to help businesses achieve their digital transformation goals and protect their data against current and future challenges. If you’re looking for personalized advice on how to enhance the sovereignty and security of your data, don’t hesitate to contact us through our form. Together, we can design solutions tailored to your needs.
