Store Data Overseas? What CSPs Need to Know About Microsoft’s SCA Challenge

Data transcends national borders. A cloud service provider may host a user’s data next door, or it may store it halfway around the world. But an upcoming ruling by the Supreme Court may drastically change how and where CSPs decide to store customer data.

Depending on the outcome of United States v. Microsoft Corp., a customer-directed approach may not suffice. At the case’s heart is the question of whether the U.S. government can compel CSPs to produce data that, according to where it’s physically stored, falls under another nation’s jurisdiction.

Unsurprisingly, infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, and software-as-a-service companies are watching the case closely. In the meantime, however, they must protect themselves and their customers from the inevitable legal challenges that will stem from the ruling.

Read the full article on Security Today.