Europe’s Cloud Sovereignty Has a Silicon Problem

Despite efforts to achieve digital sovereignty through frameworks like SecNumCloud, a fundamental flaw exists: reliance on processors with built-in, potentially exploitable management engines (Intel Management Engine/AMD Platform Security Processor). These engines, designed for remote management, create a backdoor susceptible to nation-state actors and are largely unaddressed by current sovereignty certifications, focusing instead on operational and legal controls.

While some argue operational security can mitigate the risk, others see it as an unavoidable vulnerability. The long-term solution of alternative processor architectures like RISC-V is years away, leaving Europe facing a critical question: can true digital sovereignty be achieved while dependent on non-sovereign silicon?