Delivering Services Online: Canada’s Cloud Computing Strategy

We built TitanFile to limit risks for data-sensitive organizations.

Now, Public Works and Government Services Canada aims to do the same. The combined government body wants to ensure Canadian data is safe and stored in the country.

The Ministry recently released a Request for Information to the cloud computing industry, which closed on Jan. 30, 2015. The public will be able to see the RFI’s resulting policy by this summer.

In the interest of Internet privacy and security, we support Ottawa’s intentions.

But the government must not lose sight of the overarching issue. It has to lower the risk that Canadian data can be lost or unlawfully accessed through cloud storage, said David Fraser, a Canadian privacy lawyer and partner with McInnes Cooper who sits on our board of directors, in an interview with IT World Canada.

Cloud Computing Priorities for TitanFile and the Government

The goal of the government’s RFI is to determine if proposed strategies are viable. Essentially, cloud computing providers – multinational ones, in particular – must consent to Canada owning and controlling all data.

The strategies state that providers must:

  • Route domestic data traffic exclusively through Canada
  • Run all databases that store domestic data on Canadian servers
  • Ensure there are no connections from Canadian servers and databases to any supplier database outside of Canada
  • Encrypt data in transit and at rest, ensuring encryption keys are only in Canada

We at TitanFile believe these strategies are viable and would help protect domestic data. That’s why we already operate in accordance with them. They’ve been our priorities since we first started.

TitanFile users can choose where their data resides (custom data residency) and exclusively store data in Canada (or the US or Europe).  In transit and at rest, our encryption key is 256 bits. For comparison, 128 bit keys are standard.

We encourage the government to continue investigating ways to securely deliver cloud computing services to Canadians.  Like always, we’ll do our part by providing clients with innovative and secure file sharing solutions.

>>With secure servers in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, TitanFile helps organizations keep shared files private and comply with regulatory and jurisdictional requirements. Contact us today to learn more.

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