Supply Chain Security in the Cloud: A Customer Perspective

As the founder of a tech startup, your source code is securely stored in a repository. Daily backups run automatically. But what if your cloud provider goes bankrupt tomorrow? Or if a cyber incident takes your SaaS provider offline for days? These are the questions that keep many IT leaders awake at night and rightly so. Because supply chain security in the cloud is not just about technical safeguards. It is about maintaining control over what matters most: your intellectual property and business continuity.

Why Supply Chain Security in the Cloud Is Critical

The move to the cloud has delivered major benefits for organizations, including scalability, cost efficiency and flexibility. However, a cloud first strategy also introduces a fundamental dependency. More and more organizations run their core business processes on platforms operated by a small number of dominant providers, often large US based technology companies. This concentration creates risks that go far beyond technical outages.

Dutch regulators such as the AFM and DNB have recently warned about systemic risks in the financial sector caused by digital dependency on a limited number of non European IT providers. The Dutch Data Protection Authority has raised similar concerns. The issue is clear. In the event of a disruption, bankruptcy or geopolitical tension, critical business processes can come to a standstill immediately, with little control on the customer side.

Risks from the Customer Perspective

Vendor Lock In: Trapped in a Single Ecosystem

Vendor lock in is arguably the greatest risk for cloud customers. It occurs when organizations become so deeply integrated into the technology, formats and protocols of a single provider that switching becomes technically complex and financially unfeasible. Examples include proprietary APIs, specific database formats or applications that only run on a particular cloud platform.

The consequence is a loss of leverage. Providers can raise prices, discontinue features or terminate services, leaving customers with few alternatives. Over time, internal IT expertise may also decline because responsibility increasingly sits with the provider, making effective risk assessment and control more difficult.

Continuity and Operational Downtime

An outage at your cloud provider immediately impacts your business operations. Whether caused by a cyberattack, hardware failure or human error, the consequences are often significant. For startups and scale ups with limited resources, even a single day of downtime can lead to revenue loss, reputational damage and customer dissatisfaction.

And outages are not the only concern. In the event of a bankruptcy or acquisition, services may be discontinued altogether. If your provider suddenly ceases to exist or is acquired by a party that shuts down the product, your business may be left without access to its own systems and data.

Legal and Geopolitical Exposure

US cloud providers may be subject to the US CLOUD Act, which can require them to provide access to data held overseas, including data stored in Europe. Sanctions or trade restrictions may also result in services becoming unavailable to specific regions or sectors. For organizations handling sensitive data or operating internationally, this represents a real and growing risk.

Supply Chain Dependency and Lack of Transparency

Cloud providers typically rely on subcontractors and third parties for parts of their infrastructure. This includes data centers, network providers, security services and software libraries. These supply chains are often complex and opaque. A vulnerability at any point in the chain, such as a flaw in an open source component, can affect your systems without immediate visibility.

Strategies for Risk Mitigation

1. Multi Cloud and Hybrid Architectures

One way to reduce vendor lock in is to distribute workloads across multiple cloud providers or combine public cloud with on premises infrastructure. This increases flexibility and bargaining power, but also adds complexity and requires additional expertise.

2. Open Standards and Containerization

Choose solutions based on open standards such as SQL, Linux and Kubernetes rather than proprietary technologies. By containerizing applications using Docker and orchestrating them with Kubernetes, workloads become portable across cloud environments, enabling faster transitions if needed.

3. Strong Exit Strategies and Contractual Safeguards

Exit planning should begin before contracts are signed. Clear agreements on data portability, availability, security and audit rights are essential. Know how your data can be exported, in which formats and within what timeframes. A well defined exit strategy prevents unpleasant surprises later.

4. Escrow as a Continuity Safety Net

This is where escrow comes into play. SaaS Escrow and Data Escrow provide legal and technical safeguards that ensure continued access to essential software, source code and data if a supplier fails.

In a traditional source code escrow arrangement, source code is deposited with an independent third party. When a release event occurs, such as bankruptcy or termination of support, customers gain access to the code and can maintain or continue the software themselves.

For cloud applications, escrow must go further. Access is also required to configurations, infrastructure as code, containers, databases and API credentials. A comprehensive SaaS Escrow solution secures these elements and enables continued operation, in some cases even without downtime.

Escrow4all is the only ISO 27001 certified escrow provider in the Benelux offering specialized digital escrow solutions that combine technical safeguards with clear legal frameworks for release conditions. This gives startups and scale ups confidence that their technology investments are protected regardless of what happens to their supplier.

5. Data Encryption and Customer Managed Keys

Sensitive data in the cloud should be encrypted, with encryption keys managed by the customer. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access by providers or third parties and is particularly important for organizations subject to GDPR obligations or handling confidential information.

A Practical Approach: Start with Awareness

Supply chain security begins with awareness. As a founder or IT leader, it is essential to ask the right questions:

• What happens if our cloud provider ceases operations tomorrow?
• Can we migrate our data and applications to another environment within a week?
• Do we have visibility into all subcontractors and third parties in our cloud supply chain?
• Are our contracts sufficiently clear about exit scenarios and data portability?

If the answer to any of these questions is no or unclear, it is time to take action. Supply chain security is not a one time project, but an ongoing process of risk assessment, contract management and technical preparedness.

Final Thought: Control Is Not a Luxury, It Is a Necessity

The cloud offers tremendous opportunities, but it requires a different approach to risk and continuity. As a customer, you are not powerless. By making informed choices, you can reduce dependency and strengthen resilience. Invest in open standards, define exit strategies and consider escrow as a safety net for your most critical systems.

Ultimately, it comes down to one thing: maintaining control over what you have built. Your source code, your data, your business. That deserves protection today, tomorrow and in the future.