Data Sovereignty FAQ
Understand data sovereignty and residency requirements and how they affect where and how your organization stores and accesses files. These FAQs explain deployment options that keep data within your approved jurisdiction without sacrificing remote accessibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is data sovereignty?
Data sovereignty is the principle that data is governed by the laws and regulatory authority of the country or region where it is collected or stored.
How is data residency different from data sovereignty?
Data residency describes the physical location where data is stored and processed, while data sovereignty describes the legal jurisdiction and governance that apply to that data.
Can MyWorkDrive keep files in my country or jurisdiction?
MyWorkDrive helps support data sovereignty by keeping files in your approved storage and locations, while providing controlled access and auditing without copying data into a third-party sync store.
What deployment options does MyWorkDrive offer for sovereignty?
MyWorkDrive is self-hosted and can be deployed on a Windows Server you control on-premises or in Azure so file access stays within your infrastructure and jurisdiction.
Which storage types can MyWorkDrive connect to (SMB, NAS, Azure, S3)?
SMB is the Windows file sharing protocol for network shares, and access is typically controlled with Active Directory authentication plus share and NTFS permissions.
Can I edit Office documents without Microsoft 365?
Yes, you can enable browser editing without Microsoft 365 by integrating MyWorkDrive with ONLYOFFICE or a local Office Online Server, depending on your licensing and deployment choices.
Do I have to migrate files to use MyWorkDrive?
No, MyWorkDrive connects to existing file shares and supported storage and provides remote access without migrating data or recreating permissions.
Can external users access files without copying them out?
Define the security and access requirements first, then choose an approach that keeps data in approved storage and provides permission-based access with auditing.
Can MyWorkDrive integrate with Active Directory or SAML identity providers?
MyWorkDrive supports SAML/ADFS single sign-on, so it can integrate with an identity provider for centralized authentication and policy enforcement.
Is remote access possible without a VPN?
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel that connects a device to a private network, but it can expand the user's network reach beyond the specific apps they need.