In Estonia, the barrage of cyberattacks from Russia has helped it prepare for “literally whatever situation,” Digital Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta said. Estonia has forged a level of digital resilience that is widely praised.
When it comes to where to go from here, “We are not looking for U.S. company dependencies but we are looking for any critical dependencies,” she said, noting that Estonia considers the threat of submarine internet cables being cut to be far more real than a U.S. tech shutdown.
Betting on ‘open’
When it comes to finding alternatives to American majors, some of the tools that are gaining traction in Europe are open-source — meaning anyone can see, use and adapt the software, unlike proprietary tools whose code is confidential.
“Like France, the Dutch government is researching autonomous communication tools for chats and video conferencing,” said outgoing State Secretary Eddie van Marum.
Van Marum cited the trials of the French-developed platform Visio and a German alternative from Nextcloud, both of which are open-source. The German government is trying the openDesk platform, a solution the Hague-based International Criminal Court also turned to after ditching Microsoft over fears that U.S. sanctions could freeze its work.
“Access to source code reduces dependence on third-country providers, reduces vendor lock-in, keeps value and investment within Europe,” said center-right Finnish member of the European Parliament Aura Salla. “We need to cut our dependencies with hyperscalers as soon as possible.”
