STORING CRITICAL DATA OFFSHORE EXPOSES COUNTRY TO RISKS; TALUKDAR WARNED

BY RAYLEEN WANJIMAN

PAPUA New Guinea is being urged to rethink its reliance on foreign-controlled cloud systems, with concerns raised over data security and national control.

Speaking at the launch of the country’s first sovereign AI data centre in Port Moresby recently Datec PNG Acting CEO Preetam Talukdar warned that storing critical data offshore exposes the country to risks beyond its control.

He highlighted that many global platforms operated by companies like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure may offer convenience but often fall under foreign jurisdictions.

Talukdar warned that this means sensitive government, business and personal data could be accessed under external laws or affected during global outages leaving countries like PNG vulnerable.

He stressed that building local infrastructure is not just about technology, but about safeguarding national security and ensuring citizens’ data remains within the country’s control. The new sovereign AI data centre aims to address these concerns by keeping data onshore, reducing dependence on overseas systems and strengthening PNG’s digital independence