How is Estonia building a ‘virtual data embassy’?

Failure is not an option for Estonia. In a country where 98% of banking transactions are done online, digital services need to be continuously available.

“Estonia must be able to continue to function as a government, and as a people, even in the direst of scenarios, including the loss of our territory,” writes Taavi Kotka, the former Government CIO.

A joint research report by the Estonian Government and Microsoft shows how the country is work at the leading edge and provides recommendations for other governments to learn from.

“We believe that the Virtual Data Embassy Solution is at the cutting edge of national e-governance policies,” Kotka writes. This involves storing critical government information in foreign countries and using cloud computing services.

With such a bold step, there are no doubt questions about trust, security and privacy. The report details the feasibility, challenges and recommendations for such an initiative.

Download the report below to learn more about this from Microsoft.