Notes |
To protect its data, Estonia developed the concept of data embassies – servers outside the country that are
legally under Estonian jurisdiction. The digital copies of key databases they store can be accessed in the
event of a major data incident in the country
The data embassy is an extension
of the Estonian government cloud,
meaning that the Estonian state owns
server resources outside its borders.
These will be used not only for data
backup, but also for operating critical
services. As with physical Estonian
embassies, the servers are considered
sovereign embassies in foreign data
centres.
While opening the fi rst data embassy involves placing Estonian systems and data in another county,
it creates an additional security guarantee for Estonian sovereignty. Estonia will back up critical data
and services important for the functioning of the state outside the physical territory of Estonia, while
Luxembourg guarantees that the data and the servers are protected by the same legal guarantees as the
data and servers in Estonia. This approach will help ensure the country’s digital continuity – its capability to
maintain services and digital data regardless of interruptions. The data embassy benefi ts Estonian citizens,
who will be the recipients of a more reliable and secure digital society. Additionally, it creates an extra
security guarantee for the e-residents of Estonia, who expect Estonian digital services to be available at any
time independent of location.
Estonia launched the world’s fi rst
data embassy in partnership with the
government of Luxembourg.
Photo: Sven Tupits
Estonia – the Digital Republic Secured by Blockchain |