SafeCloud · Project

Cloud Security Platform That Keeps Your Data Private Even From the Cloud Provider

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Imagine you need to store sensitive files in a rented storage locker, but you don't fully trust the storage company. SafeCloud splits your data into pieces and stores each piece in a different locker run by a different company — so no single company ever sees the full picture. It's like tearing a secret letter into strips and mailing each strip through a different postal service. Even if one gets compromised, the attacker only gets meaningless fragments. The team built working software that does this automatically for cloud storage, databases, and even medical records.

By the numbers

EUR 2,150,810

EU contribution to develop the privacy-preserving cloud platform

consortium partners across 4 countries

SMEs involved in development and commercialization

total deliverables produced including 8 demonstrators

working prototypes in cloud storage and healthcare

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies storing sensitive data in the cloud face a fundamental trust problem: cloud providers can access, move, or process your data without your knowledge, and a single breach exposes everything. This is especially dangerous for healthcare records, financial data, and any information subject to jurisdiction-specific regulations like GDPR. Current encryption alone doesn't solve the problem because data must be decrypted for processing, creating vulnerability windows.

The solution

What was built

The team built a complete cloud platform that splits data across multiple independent cloud providers so no single provider ever holds complete information. Concrete outputs include: a Cloud&Heat cloud storage prototype with data integrity guarantees, a Maxdata healthcare platform for distributed medical records, a Secure SQL Engine for querying encrypted distributed data, private communication middleware, and a final integrated platform with full multi-cloud support and elasticity — totalling 31 deliverables including 8 demonstrators.

Audience

Who needs this

Hospital groups and health data platforms needing GDPR-compliant cloud storageCloud service providers wanting to offer privacy-as-a-feature to enterprise clientsBanks and insurance companies with strict data jurisdiction requirementsGovernment agencies handling classified or citizen data across cloud infrastructureMultinational companies needing data sovereignty across different legal jurisdictions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Healthcare IT

enterprise

Target: Hospital groups and health data platform providers

If you are a healthcare IT provider dealing with strict patient data regulations and the risk of cloud breaches — this project developed a working healthcare platform prototype (Maxdata SafeCloud) that splits medical records across multiple cloud providers so no single provider can access complete patient data. The platform includes a Secure SQL Engine that lets you query encrypted distributed data without reassembling it in one place.

Cloud Infrastructure

mid-size

Target: Cloud hosting and managed service providers

If you are a cloud service provider struggling to win privacy-conscious enterprise clients — this project built a full cloud storage platform (Cloud&Heat SafeCloud) with support for short-term and long-term data integrity. The final release supports multiple cloud providers and lets customers control exactly how their data is partitioned across administrative domains, turning privacy into a competitive selling point.

Financial Services

enterprise

Target: Banks, insurance companies, and fintech firms handling regulated data

If you are a financial institution required to keep customer data within specific legal jurisdictions but still want cloud flexibility — this project delivered a privacy-preserving storage and computation platform with secure multi-party computation protocols. The 7-partner consortium across 4 countries specifically designed the system for scenarios where data must not physically leave its owner's legal jurisdiction.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this technology?

The project received EUR 2,150,810 in EU funding across a 7-partner consortium over 3 years to develop the platform. Licensing or deployment costs would depend on negotiations with the consortium partners. Based on available project data, no commercial pricing model is published.

Can this scale to enterprise-level data volumes?

The final release of the SafeCloud platform offers full support for different cloud providers and includes elasticity features specifically designed for scaling. The Secure SQL Engine evolved from a restricted initial version to a full-featured release supporting advanced processing operations across distributed data.

Who owns the IP and how can I license it?

The consortium includes INESC TEC (coordinator, Portugal), plus partners across Switzerland, Germany, and Estonia. With 3 industrial partners and 3 SMEs in the consortium, IP is likely shared under consortium agreement terms. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing arrangements.

Has this been tested with real data in real environments?

Yes. Two concrete prototypes were built and tested: a Cloud&Heat cloud storage platform with data integrity support, and a Maxdata healthcare platform handling medical records. Both moved from initial prototypes to integrated versions within the SafeCloud platform's final release.

How does this handle regulatory compliance like GDPR?

The architecture was specifically designed so users control which non-colluding domains store their data partitions, directly addressing data sovereignty and jurisdiction requirements. This means data can be kept within specific legal boundaries while still using distributed cloud infrastructure.

How long would integration take?

The project delivered a complete software platform with documented APIs, middleware, and a SafeCloud library for application integration. The 3-year project produced 31 deliverables including a final platform release, suggesting mature documentation. Based on available project data, specific integration timelines would depend on your existing infrastructure.

Is there ongoing support or development?

The project ended in August 2018. With 3 SMEs and 3 industrial partners in the consortium, some partners may have continued commercial development. Contact the coordinator at INESC TEC in Portugal to check current status and support availability.

Consortium

Who built it

The SafeCloud consortium is well-balanced for bringing technology to market: 7 partners from 4 countries (Switzerland, Germany, Estonia, Portugal) with a 43% industry ratio. The mix of 2 universities, 2 research institutes, and 3 industrial partners (all SMEs) means the science was developed alongside real commercial needs. Cloud&Heat (Germany) and Maxdata (Portugal) provided concrete use cases — cloud hosting and healthcare — which forced the technology to work in real environments, not just labs. The coordinator INESC TEC is a well-known Portuguese research and technology organization with strong ties to industry.

INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIACoordinator · PT
CYBERNETICA ASparticipant · EE
CLOUD & HEAT TECHNOLOGIES GMBHparticipant · DE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHENparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITE DE NEUCHATELparticipant · CH
MAXDATA SOFTWARE SAparticipant · PT
INESC ID - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, INVESTIGACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO EM LISBOAparticipant · PT

How to reach the team

INESC TEC in Porto, Portugal — a large research and technology institute. Reach their technology transfer office for licensing discussions.

Order a report on this consortium See INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how SafeCloud's privacy-preserving cloud technology could solve your data sovereignty challenges? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the development team and help you evaluate fit for your infrastructure.

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