National Security Starts With Local Code

In the intelligence age, security fuels trust the way oil once fueled the global economy. 

Yet, “security” has become a buzzword, so broadly used, that its meaning is often diluted. Companies frequently claim to protect user privacy, but what that protection entails is rarely clear. 

Cybersecurity companies provide the primary line of defense for safeguarding data. 

Their tools, typically underpinned by cryptography, promise multiple layers of protection: robust authentication, data integrity, and restricted access to sensitive information. But a critical question remains: quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the watchers? 

Large-scale cybersecurity products often, by design or necessity, entrust sensitive data to external parties. Backdoors such as administrative access, compliance with local legal interception requirements, third-party maintenance, and cloud-based storage create hidden exposure. Ownership is also a concern: who designed the algorithms? Where were the tools developed, tested, and audited, and who fully understands how they operate? 

The rise of quantum computing will significantly amplify these concerns. Experts predict that today’s cryptographic solutions could become obsolete within five to 10 years, akin to securing a modern bank vault with a rusty padlock. 

The quantum era demands a fundamental shift in our security paradigm. Security must move beyond reliance on external providers. Our cryptographic tools, as well as the systems and infrastructure they protect, must be sovereign. 

Data sovereignty, already standard in many jurisdictions, is the starting point. It refers to the principle that data is subject to the laws of the country in which it is collected, stored, and processed. Some countries go further, enforcing data localization, the legal requirement to store certain categories of data within national borders.  

For example, the United States requires specific personal data to be stored domestically. China mandates that all personal data collected within its borders must also be processed locally. Russia adds another layer, requiring that data be stored and processed only by government-certified Russian entities. The UAE enforces similar requirements for sensitive data, including financial, medical, and personal information, which must remain within national borders. 

These regulations have led global tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle to build local cloud zones across regions, including the Middle East, allowing data to be stored locally. But even then, a challenge remains: third-party servers are still, to a large extent, black boxes. Who has access? How is the data encrypted? Who controls the underlying infrastructure? In other words, if our cybersecurity infrastructure is not sovereign, does it matter if our data is? If protection is provided by foreign-owned systems, involving multiple third parties, can we truly call that secure? 

Technology sovereignty is about far more than data location. It means owning the entire ecosystem, from the cryptographic expertise behind the tools, to the location of the source code, who can access it, and the infrastructure used to deploy it. Using foreign-owned technology to host local programs and data is like installing a biometric lock on a screen door. 

Several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have taken steps to restrict or ban certain foreign technologies from their critical infrastructure. In many cases, the concern is not technical capability, but potential exposure to foreign intelligence laws, surveillance, or remote interference. 

These realities reinforce the need for strategic self-reliance. Sovereign code and data are essential, but they are only the beginning. Cybersecurity systems must be developed, deployed, and operated independently, without dependence on external entities that could introduce hidden vulnerabilities. 

The stakes are too high to entrust our digital security to others. The future belongs to those who build on their own foundations. 

About The Author 

Janne Hirvimies is the Chief Technology Officer of QuantumGate, a cybersecurity company by VentureOne, the commercialization arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC).