KI storage in Microsoft cloud services
The ongoing political situation in the US also raises many questions about KI's storage in Microsoft's cloud services, which are available to both staff and students. Here, the IT Office collects and answers frequently asked questions.
What about my own storage in OneDrive and SharePoint?
All storage in OneDrive and SharePoint in KI's Microsoft environment is physically located on servers in Sweden, and no data is transferred to the US.
Given all the uncertainty, should I continue saving files in the cloud like before?
We currently see no reason to stop using OneDrive/SP. All KI data is stored on servers that are subject to EU legislation.
Microsoft has historically invested significant resources in, for example, dedicated data centres on European and Swedish soil, and describes its data security work in the European market here:
What happens to the agreements that exist at the EU level?
News media have reported on the problems that could arise if the Trump administration cancels the agreement established between the EU and the US (the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework) to protect European data in US cloud services per the GDPR.
The European Commission is tasked with monitoring developments, including changes in laws or practices. The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection monitors this at the national level, but of course, KI and other Swedish higher education institutions also follow developments closely.
What would happen if the Trump administration forced Microsoft to shut down its services in the EU?
The overall assessment is that such an event is improbable. The current trade war heavily focuses on import tariffs to "adjust" the US trade deficit with specific markets.
US cloud services, including Microsoft, are market leaders in Europe and 'shutting them down' would help eliminate any trade surplus.