Data security is a top concern for enterprises as Atlassian phases out Server support and shifts to the Cloud. Is your organization ready for the change?

In February 2024, Atlassian officially ended Server support, leaving enterprises with two primary options: migrate to the Cloud or use a Data Center. As Atlassian doubles down on its Cloud-first strategy, businesses must act quickly to protect their data, comply with regulations, and maintain operational continuity.

Atlassian Cloud offers robust data residency options with regions in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and more. Coupled with apps built on Forge, organizations can confidently address compliance and security needs while optimizing workflows.

This article explores Atlassian’s data residency features, the benefits of Forge apps, and how Smart Tools help enterprises stay secure in this evolving landscape. Whether you’re migrating from a Server or improving your Cloud setup, understanding data residency is key to protecting your business and staying ahead in 2024.

Understanding Atlassian Data Residency
What is data residency?
Data residency is the practice of storing data in specific geographic regions to meet regulatory, legal, and business requirements.

When a company transitions from an in-house self-maintained server to the cloud, it places its trust in a remote data center maintained by a provider who is equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and security (Atlassian Cloud happens to use AWS).

Most large cloud providers have dozens of data centers in various locations all over the world. The exact location of your data within these centers is referred to as local data residency.

With the option of local data residency, your organization can prevent your information from leaving the confines of your determined location. For enterprises operating in industries with strict compliance standards—like finance, healthcare, and government—data residency is essential.

Data Residency and Compliance Requirements
Data residency has become a critical factor for enterprises especially in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government. It allows companies to store sensitive information in specific geographic regions, meeting compliance requirements such as:

• GDPR (EU): Governs data protection and privacy for individuals in the European Union. Official text – Regulation (EU) 2016/679

• India’s DPDP Act (2023): Sets strict rules for data handling and localization. Official text – Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – United States: Set the rules for protection of personal health information. Official text – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

• FISMA (US): Requires federal data to remain within the U.S. Official text – Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002

• Australia’s Critical Infrastructure Rules: May enforce local data storage. Overview Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018

• Canada (PIPEDA): Local storage required for public-sector data in provinces like BC and Nova Scotia. Official text – Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act

• Brazil’s LGPD: Allows data transfers under specific compliance rules. Official text – Lei Nº 13.709, de 14 de Agosto de 2018

• UAE and Saudi Arabia: Enforce local storage for financial and health-related data. Official text – Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 and overview – Data Protection Law – Saudi Arabia

Note: Please note that although HIPAA primarily focuses on the protection of health information, it does not explicitly mandate data residency requirements. It is advisable to consult with legal experts to understand the specific implications of these laws on data residency for your organization.

Data residency helps enterprises meet these regulations while mitigating the risk of legal penalties and maintaining customer trust.

Regulations such as GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California determine where and how companies handle personal and sensitive data. Beyond compliance, data residency supports sovereignty, ensures faster access for local teams, and safeguards businesses in case of region-specific disruptions.

Atlassian’s Data Residency Features
Atlassian offers data residency capabilities as part of its Cloud platform, enabling organizations to choose where their data is stored. Currently, supported regions include the U.S., Europe, Australia, and more, with additional locations being rolled out to meet global demand.To explore the latest updates on available regions, refer to Atlassian’s data residency documentation.

If you would like to keep up with the latest developments in Atlassian Cloud make sure to subscribe to Cloud Roadmap for quarterly reports on upcoming features, updated time frames, data residency announcements, and much more.

Key benefits of Atlassian’s data residency include:

Regulatory Compliance: Align with laws like GDPR and HIPAA to reduce legal risks.
Optimized Performance: Improve speed and reliability for regional users.
Security Through Atlassian Infrastructure: Data is stored and processed within Atlassian’s secure cloud infrastructure, reducing reliance on third-party hosting.
Streamlined Collaboration: Teams across multiple regions can work together confidently, knowing their data management meets compliance standards.
With data residency embedded in Atlassian’s Cloud, enterprises can confidently meet local compliance requirements.

*Why Choose Atlassian Cloud?
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Atlassian Cloud has become the go-to solution for enterprises transitioning from Server, offering flexibility and scalability tailored to businesses of all sizes. The Cloud platform supports up to 50,000 users per Jira instance, making it suitable for large-scale operations.

Explore the entire article about Data Residency for Atlassian on TitanApps blog.