Cloud solutions offer companies many advantages, but also risks, especially with regard to data protection issues such as the legal basis for international data transfer.
Even with the EU’s new standard contractual clauses, companies that rely on U.S. cloud solutions must take additional data protection measures to adequately protect the rights of European citizens. Currently, the supervisory authorities have announced coordinated audits in this area.
Nextcloud on its own server – a solution that complies with data protection laws
Anyone who has looked into the subject a little more intensively will inevitably already have come across Nextcloud, an open source software solution that can be used either as a self-hosted cloud solution on a company’s own server, or as a managed solution from a provider. For larger companies with 100 or more users, Nextcloud offers an enterprise variant that can either be self-hosted or obtained through the provider. Smaller and medium-sized companies can either implement a managed service or their own hosting solution.
Setting up your own Nextcloud solution on your own V-Server or server requires the following resources:
(as of 09.06.2021 – for current details, please visit the Administrator Guide).
- own server or V-Server with current PHP/MySQL version
- Recommended: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, alternatively
- Debian 10 (Buster)
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15
- openSUSE Leap 42.1+
- CentOS 8
- MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.2+
- PostgreSQL 9.6/10/11/12/13
- PHP 7.3 or 7.4
Companies with employees who are able to administer a Linux server will find a fully DSGVO-compliant cloud solution most cost-effective with a self-hosted variant. If these are lacking, a service provider with the appropriate qualifications should be brought in. Alternatively, you should consider a managed solution, which is significantly more expensive, but should always be up-to-date and securely hosted.
The technical and legal advantages of a self-hosted solution are obvious:
- capacity limitation only depending on the available server hardware
- in principle unlimited number of users
- in principle unlimited number of groups
- differentiated assignment of rights for different groups
- automated backup solution for the connected clients
- programs and apps available for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS and Android systems
- automatic synchronization of files, folders and clients
- differentiated user and group management
- no uncontrolled/uncontrollable data transfer to third parties
- 100% DSGVO-compliant use possible
- expandable by apps with different program functions
Digitization needs data security and data protection – we help you get started
Are you planning to introduce your own Nextcloud solution in your company?
We train and advise your employees in-house, from implementation and administration to productive use in the company.