When German IT security companies are sold to US corporations: What does this mean for your data?
The news has caused quite a stir: the German company Hornetsecurity, known for cloud security solutions for Microsoft 365, has been acquired by the US company Proofpoint. What sounds like normal business news has far-reaching consequences for companies in Germany and Europe - especially when it comes to data protection, digital sovereignty and compliance.
What does such a sale mean for your data? And how can you protect yourself against loss of control and data leakage? We provide answers - and show you why you can rely on an independent, German provider with eperi GmbH.
Lost control? What changes with a US parent company
As soon as a German cloud security provider is taken over by a US company, the framework conditions change - often faster than many would like:
- US laws such as the CLOUD Act enable access to data by US authorities - even if the data is stored on European servers. The GDPR? Then only plays a minor role.
- Unstable legal situation: Political changes of course in the USA can create new requirements for providers and their European customers within a very short space of time.
- Digital sovereignty is at risk: whoever controls the infrastructure also controls your sensitive information. Period.
Risks for trade secrets and compliance
Sensitive data in particular, such as customer data, confidential business processes or internal strategies, must not fall into the wrong hands. But with a US company in the background, this is precisely the risk:
- Confidential information could become accessible to third parties outside Europe - whether intentionally or by force.
- Contractual uncertainty: Changes in the company structure can shake up your existing security concepts, contracts and compliance guidelines.
- High migration costs: Changing providers after a takeover is technically complex, costly - and not easy to implement for many companies.
In short, anyone investing in cloud security today needs long-term reliability - and no legal pitfalls.
What you can do as a company
The choice is yours - and there are alternatives. For example, cloud data security with eperi sEcure.
- Encryption before the cloud: With eperi, you retain control of your data - regardless of the cloud provider.
- You have key sovereignty: Nobody but you can decrypt the data - not even Microsoft.
- Compatible with multi-cloud strategies: eperi works across systems - without product lock-in.
- Maintain legal certainty: You minimize your risk with international data transfers and increasing compliance requirements.
Why eperi is different - and will remain so
eperi GmbH is an owner-managed company based in Pfungstadt, Hesse. Our encryption solutions are “Made in Germany” - not only technically, but also legally.
- No dependence on US investors or large corporations
- No access by third country authorities possible
- 100% under German and European data protection law
Your advantages with eperi at a glance
- Data sovereignty guaranteed: you control the keys, no one else. Your data remains your data.
- Compliance without compromise: eperi meets GDPR, NIS2, DORA and industry-specific requirements.
- Long-term planning security: no IPO, no sale to US corporations, no unpleasant surprises.
- Leap of faith: Show customers, partners and supervisory authorities that you take data protection and IT security seriously - with an independent provider from Germany.
Conclusion
The takeover of Hornetsecurity by Proofpoint clearly shows that a German company name is not enough if US law applies in the background. Anyone who wants to continue to rely on genuine data sovereignty must act now.
With eperi, you can rely on digital independence, uncompromising data protection and a future without hidden backdoors.
Find out more now: How to protect your cloud data with eperi sEcure - reliably, legally compliant and confidently.
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