March 28, 2025
Jacob Herbst, CTO of Dubex and Chair of the Danish Cyber Security Council, warns that Denmark’s reliance on American cloud services poses risks amid rising EU-US tensions. He believes that Danish companies should use this opportunity to consider European-based alternatives to ensure future security.
In a world where changes are happening faster than we can grasp, our perception of alliances has shifted our mindset – both in terms of overall security and our dependence on foreign technology.
Jacob Herbst, CTO of Dubex and Chair of the Danish Cyber Security Council, believes that Danish companies are vulnerable due to their heavy reliance on American technology. He suggests that this could be an opportunity to explore open-source or European-based cloud solutions to secure the future.
If the US decides to shut down American cloud services at 08:00, Denmark will come to a halt by 09:00, as we have put all our eggs in one basket. Danish companies and the public sector are dependent on cloud services from Microsoft or Apple and will face significant issues if those are shut down.
A Growing Tension
It’s important to underline that there’s no current threat of this happening, but the growing tension between the European Union and the US is creating insecurity in the alliance. The mere fact that we’re discussing the possibility of the US using such a measure is a testament to how our relationship has changed. The consequences are significant enough that we need to consider our actions, even if the probability of them occurring is low.
No one knows if the current direction of the American government is a tactic to get Europe to step up and contribute equally, or if it will end with the two falling out.
In any case, the situation calls for reflection and action. Reflection on who we can trust when push comes to shove, and action on how we can ensure we do not end up in this situation again.
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