ISO 27001 Infrastructure, an Alternative to Google's IaaS

ISO 27001 is the internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It provides a systematic framework for managing sensitive company and customer information, encompassing policies, procedures, and technical controls that protect data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. For organizations that value data sovereignty, choosing an IaaS provider with ISO 27001 certification and data centers in a known jurisdiction is increasingly important for both operational control and regulatory compliance.

The standard requires organizations to assess information security risks, implement appropriate controls to mitigate those risks, and maintain an ongoing management process to ensure that controls remain effective over time. Certification is granted by accredited third-party auditors who verify that the organization's ISMS meets all requirements of the standard. Recertification audits occur regularly, typically on a three-year cycle with annual surveillance audits.

Related standards extend the framework for cloud-specific scenarios. ISO 27017 provides guidelines for information security controls applicable to cloud services, addressing concerns specific to multi-tenant environments and shared responsibility models. ISO 27018 establishes controls for the protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public cloud environments. Together, these standards form a comprehensive security framework for cloud infrastructure.

Google Cloud Platform holds ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018 certifications for its infrastructure and services. However, a critical consideration is data jurisdiction. While Google offers European data residency options and has data centers in locations including Frankfurt, the Netherlands, and Finland, Google as a US-headquartered company remains subject to US legal frameworks including the CLOUD Act. This law can compel US companies to provide government access to data stored abroad, creating uncertainty for organizations that need clear jurisdictional control over their data.

The invalidation of the EU-US Privacy Shield by the European Court of Justice in the Schrems II decision of 2020 highlighted these jurisdictional tensions. While the EU-US Data Privacy Framework adopted in 2023 provides a new legal basis for transatlantic data transfers, the fundamental jurisdictional question remains: data stored by a US company may be subject to US government access regardless of where it is physically located.

Independent European IaaS alternatives provide a clearer path to data sovereignty. Hetzner Online, headquartered in Germany, holds ISO 27001 certification for its data center operations in Nuremberg, Falkenstein, and Helsinki. While Hetzner has expanded to include a US data center in Ashburn, Virginia, its European locations remain under German and Finnish law respectively. As a German company, Hetzner is not subject to the CLOUD Act or other US extraterritorial legislation for data stored in its European facilities. This provides strong jurisdictional clarity for organizations that need full control over where their data resides and who can access it, provided they select European data center locations for their deployments.

Other European providers with ISO 27001 certification include OVHcloud (France), Scaleway (France), and Exoscale (Switzerland). Each offers infrastructure physically located in European data centers and operated by European-incorporated companies. For organizations in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government, where data sovereignty requirements are most stringent, these independent providers offer jurisdictional clarity that US-headquartered hyperscalers cannot fully match.

When evaluating an IaaS provider for compliance purposes, several factors beyond ISO 27001 certification deserve attention. The physical location of data centers determines which country's laws govern physical access to hardware. The corporate jurisdiction of the provider determines which legal frameworks can compel data disclosure. The provider's sub-processor relationships matter because data may flow through third-party services. Encryption practices, including whether the provider can access encryption keys, affect the practical protection of data at rest.

SOC 2 Type II reports provide additional assurance by documenting how a provider's controls operate over time, covering security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Many European providers now offer SOC 2 reports alongside ISO 27001 certification, providing comprehensive third-party verification of their security practices.

For organizations seeking to reduce dependency on US-based hyperscalers while maintaining rigorous security standards, the European IaaS market now offers mature alternatives. These providers combine ISO 27001 certified operations, European data center locations, and clear corporate jurisdiction to deliver infrastructure that meets demanding compliance requirements without the jurisdictional ambiguity inherent in using US-headquartered cloud providers. The maturation of these independent alternatives represents a broader shift toward technological self-reliance, where organizations no longer need to accept the trade-offs imposed by a small number of dominant platforms -- whether corporate or regulatory -- and can instead make infrastructure choices that serve their own interests.

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