Cyber dominance: When control becomes a question of security

A new term has emerged in the debate on digital sovereignty: cyber dominance. First officially used by Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), it describes a creeping loss of control over IT infrastructures, data flows and security mechanisms – a risk that has already reached both companies and public authorities.

Security and reliable processes are critical to competitiveness and to building trust with customers and partners. As dependency on global technology vendors increases – often unnoticed – organisations must ask themselves: Who controls the technology we use every day? How much decision-making power are we unknowingly giving up? And how can we retain authority over our data and information?

What is cyber dominance – and why does it concern every organisation?

The term refers to the technical or organisational ability of vendors to retain access to systems and data even after a purchase has been made. A simple analogy from the physical world makes it less abstract: Imagine you buy a house – but the developer secretly keeps a master key. You live there, but you don’t know if someone else can gain access without your knowledge.

That, in essence, is what cyber dominance is: vendors and solution providers gaining access to systems and data through backdoors. This type of dependency has serious consequences. When an organisation can no longer understand or monitor what’s happening within its infrastructure, it loses control – and, in the worst-case scenario, sensitive customer data or proprietary business information.

So far, the public debate has largely focused on external threats: ransomware, phishing, critical infrastructure attacks. But even without an attack, systems can become vulnerabilities. Cyber dominance shows that cybersecurity is about more than just defence against attacks. It starts with the ability to understand and control one’s own infrastructure – and to operate it with sovereignty.

Digital dependency: An underestimated business risk

Many organisations rely on services provided by companies operating outside Europe. These providers are subject to different legal, economic and security standards. The CLOUD Act, for instance, obliges US cloud providers to grant US authorities access to stored data – regardless of where the servers are physically located.

While the EU enforces strict regulations such as the GDPR and NIS-2, data protection and data sovereignty cannot always be guaranteed outside Europe. The result? Rising risks, uncertainty in handling sensitive information, and limited response options in an emergency. Cyber dominance undermines both technical independence and business resilience.

To counter this trend, we need more than just technical solutions – we need political action.

Political responsibility: Delivering on the €500 billion future package

With its €500 billion future package, the German government has pledged major investments in digitalisation and cybersecurity. However, a clear strategy is still lacking when it comes to building sovereign digital infrastructure in Europe.

The BSI has already laid out a concrete framework:

• Encryption with key ownership retained by the customer

• Transparency on telemetry and access data

• Option to decouple from vendor infrastructure

• Controllable and pausable updates

• Independent European operators and auditable control mechanisms

The key lies in building transparent, traceable and legally secure IT structures. Security solutions should be able to detect threats while preserving decision-making power.

This means:

• Data remains encrypted – with keys held by the organisation itself

• Providers have no access to content or usage data

• Infrastructure is hosted in Europe, and updates can be controlled

• Systems are auditable and can be integrated into existing compliance processes

What may sound idealistic is already achievable – with the right technologies and partners.

What FTAPI makes possible

FTAPI follows a clear principle: cybersecurity is only possible when organisations maintain control over their own data. The secure data exchange platform is designed not only for sending data, but for enabling organisations to shape their digital processes with full sovereignty:

• End-to-end encryption, with only recipients able to decrypt content

• No access by FTAPI to content or usage data

• Hosting exclusively in Germany, with GDPR-compliant infrastructure

• A unified platform for emails, data rooms and automated workflows

• Auditable security that integrates seamlessly into regulatory requirements

FTAPI delivers what many are looking for: an infrastructure that doesn’t just promise security, but implements it transparently and verifiably.

Conclusion: Cyber dominance is real – and a matter of choice

In many organisations, it remains unclear who can access systems or how background processes are controlled. Loss of control often occurs quietly – but it’s happening.

Cyber dominance is no theoretical concept. It changes how technology is used – and who decides how it's used. The central question is: Who controls your digital infrastructure – you or someone else?

The good news: digital autonomy is achievable. Organisations that invest today in traceable, verifiable and legally secure solutions not only protect their cybersecurity, but also secure their long-term sovereignty.