Microsoft expands Sovereign Cloud features for regulated sectors

Microsoft is expanding its Sovereign Cloud offerings to provide greater control and security for government agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and regulated industries. During the Microsoft Frontier Tour in Paris, CEO Satya Nadella introduced new features designed to address high demand in Europe, the Middle East, and Canada.

The expansion includes the introduction of the Sovereign Control Panel, which will enter public preview at the Microsoft Ignite conference. This tool is intended to centralize oversight regarding sovereignty status, compliance requirements, security aspects, and potential risks.

Key technical enhancements include External Key Management, which allows customers to maintain root encryption keys on their own hardware or through trusted third parties. For customers in the European Union and EFTA states, Microsoft is rolling out Data Guardian and Production Touch Ledger. These tools aim to increase transparency by ensuring that any remote access by Microsoft engineers to production systems is monitored by trusted European partners and recorded in tamper-evident logs.