EC Commissioner Says Data Security Needs To Be Built Into The Cloud

in Paris, Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, said she supports the growth of the cloud computing industry but the protection of personal data must be "well-integrated in the design of cloud computing products and services, from the very beginning of the business processes." Noting that the right to the protection of personal data is a fundamental right in the EU, she said that "a cloud without robust data protection is not the sort of cloud we need" and that some cloud computing providers in the EU may need help knowing what is allowed, in terms of data security and protection, and what is not.  She also said that every European cloud customer should know two things: (1) that their cloud supplier protects their personal data efficiently, i.e., in a transparent manner, and in line with EU personal data protection standards, and (2) that countries where "the cloud touches the earth," i.e., where the servers are