5% Barrier: Digital Assets and Foreign Dependency
For Portugal to ensure digital autonomy, and subsequently digital sovereignty, it is essential that the nation is not subject to foreign digital platforms such as communication, commerce, and services, especially those used by public entities.
While mapping the geographical location of the physical infrastructure that supports digital assets is critical to understanding the legal and political exposure the nation faces. The data collected from the sample of the Portuguese cyberspace paints a clear picture of high external dependence with only:
- 5% of the assets analyzed are located in Portuguese cyberspace.
This signifies a significant external dependence concerning the physical infrastructure supporting these assets, a dependence that is equivalent across both the Public and Private sectors.
Where is our Data?
The European Buffer vs. The Global Risk
While the overall figure is low, the location of the remaining infrastructure helps categorize the level of risk:
- Controllable Dependence: Approximately 75% of assets are located in the cyberspace of the European Union. This represents a dependence that is more controllable compared to the Rest of the World (RoW) because of aligned political and regulatory frameworks.
- Highest Dependence: About 20% of the infrastructure is located outside Portugal and the remaining EU. This fifth of the infrastructure faces the highest degree of dependence, a value that rises to about 29% in the Public Sector.
The Public Sector as a Risk
A crucial finding is that the public sector, which manages the most sensitive national information, relies more heavily on foreign infrastructure:
- Public Sector Exposure: The portion of infrastructure located outside the Portuguese and European cyberspace rises to approximately 29% in the public sector, compared to 20% overall.
This intensified use of external infrastructure by public entities creates an amplified risk, placing national systems and communications under the governance of non-European laws and geopolitical influences.
The strategic goal is not isolation, but resilience. The data compels Portugal to prioritize policies that incentivize the national localization of digital infrastructure and critical data, ensuring that core operations are governed by Portuguese law and aligned with national interests, thereby reinforcing Digital Sovereignty.
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