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Sovereign Cortex with T Security

Palo Alto Networks and Deutsche Telekom Join Forces
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AI-Powered Cybersecurity with Full European Data Sovereignty

The demands on modern cybersecurity are increasing rapidly. At the same time, digital sovereignty, data protection, and regulatory compliance have become strategic priorities for organizations across Europe.

With Sovereign Cortex with T Security, Palo Alto Networks and Deutsche Telekom deliver a powerful security platform that combines industry-leading AI-driven threat detection with robust European sovereignty controls.

The Challenge: More Threats, Greater Regulatory Demands

Europe’s cybersecurity landscape is becoming increasingly complex. Many organizations still rely on multiple disconnected security tools that provide limited visibility and coordination across their environments. At the same time, evolving regulations and geopolitical developments are placing greater emphasis on data protection, transparency, and operational control. Today's cyber adversaries move up to four times faster than they did just a year ago. Keeping pace requires AI-powered, cloud-delivered security capable of detecting and responding to threats across endpoints, networks, cloud environments, and identities in real time.

For highly regulated industries, however, adopting cloud-based security often raises a critical question: how can organizations benefit from advanced cybersecurity capabilities while maintaining full control over their data?

Cloud-Native Security with Built-In Data Sovereignty

Sovereign Cortex with T Security is designed specifically for organizations that operate under the most stringent security, compliance, and data sovereignty requirements. The solution brings Palo Alto Networks’ AI-powered Cortex SecOps platform to Europe’s most highly regulated sectors and enhances it with dedicated sovereignty controls administered independently by Deutsche Telekom. Organizations can therefore leverage the full power of cloud-based security while maintaining compliance with European sovereignty requirements.

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Customer data, telemetry, and threat intelligence used to operate the service are stored and processed exclusively within the European Union. Access to this data is restricted to authorized personnel located in Europe, providing organizations with enhanced transparency, accountability, and control over sensitive information.

Key Benefits

    • Data storage and processing exclusively within the EU
    • Access restricted to authorized personnel in Europe
    • Support for regulatory and compliance requirements
    • Increased transparency and auditability
    • Greater control over sensitive data

A core element of the solution is Deutsche Telekom’s independent management of encryption keys. Encryption is implemented through Google Cloud’s External Key Manager, while Deutsche Telekom maintains sole control of the encryption keys outside the control of both Palo Alto Networks and Google. This approach ensures that Deutsche Telekom alone determines access permissions and can control which services are authorized to access customer data.

What this Means for Your Organization

    • Independent encryption key management
    • Additional protection through external key control
    • Clear separation between platform operations and data access
    • Verifiable sovereignty safeguards
    • Enhanced trust and compliance assurance

Sovereign Cortex with T Security reflects the requirements of regulated organizations and public authorities across Europe. The solution has been specifically designed to deliver verifiable sovereignty and compliance controls rather than broad interpretations of data sovereignty. It addresses the practical requirements of highly regulated sectors and is built to evolve alongside Europe’s changing regulatory landscape.

Initial availability is focused on organizations with the highest security and compliance requirements, including:

    • Healthcare
    • Financial Services
    • Public Sector
    • Critical National Infrastructure

Availability for additional industries is planned in future phases.

☑️ Security 

☑️ End-to-end security and support

☑️ Industry-specific expertise

☑️ Global reach, local impact

☑️ A true path to platform consumption

☑️ Unmatched flexibility and scalability

☑️ Predictable costs, no surprises

☑️ Guaranteed outcomes (not just promises)

Helmut Reisinger

 

Helmut Reisinger, CEO of EMEA at Palo Alto Networks 

“European organisations - from public authorities to critical infrastructure operators - have been clear with us: they need real time AI-driven security and they need verifiable data sovereignty controls, and they should not have to choose between them. This is our direct response to what customers and regulators across Europe have been asking for - a service that honours Europe’s sovereignty, maintains the security effectiveness and modular platformization our customers depend on, and reflects the trust they place in us.”

 

Thomas_Tschersich_fin

 

Thomas Tschersich, CEO, Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH and CSO, Deutsche Telekom AG

"Our joint offering is currently unique in Europe at this level of quality. We address the data sovereignty requirements of frameworks such as NIS2, DORA, and KRITIS without requiring customers to compromise on the effectiveness of their cyber defense."

 

Discover More

Learn how your organization can benefit from AI-powered cybersecurity while maintaining European data sovereignty, compliance, and operational control.

Webinar: Platformization & AI (German)

Join us for our exclusive webinar on Platformization & AI with Palo Alto Networks on May 27th 2025, from 11 AM to 12 PM (CEST)!

Discover how AI and platformization can boost your SOC’s efficiency and overall Cyber Security. Learn how to detect threats faster and stay ahead of sophisticated cyber attackers.  🚀

Register now

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FAQs

Sovereign Cortex with T Security

Palo Alto Networks and Deutsche Telekom are launching Sovereign Cortex with T Security, an AI-powered security solution designed for highly regulated organisations in Europe. The solution combines Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex SecOps platform with enhanced data sovereignty controls managed by Deutsche Telekom as an independent European trusted partner.
The aim is to enable organisations to deploy modern, cloud-based AI-powered security while maintaining data sovereignty, compliance and regulatory control.

The threat landscape is evolving rapidly. Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly automated and accelerated by AI. At the same time, European regulations such as the GDPR, NIS2 and DORA are tightening requirements for the handling of sensitive data.

Many organisations therefore face a dilemma: they want to leverage the benefits of modern cloud and AI security solutions, but at the same time must ensure that data access, encryption and operational processes comply with European sovereignty requirements.

  • Sovereign Cortex with T Security was developed to address both of these requirements simultaneously.

Many so-called sovereign cloud offerings focus primarily on data residency, i.e. ensuring that data is stored within Europe.

Sovereign Cortex with T Security goes significantly further and addresses the entire data, access and operational environment:

    • Storage and processing of data within Europe
    • Access exclusively by Europe-based personnel
    • Independent management of encryption by Deutsche Telekom
    • Auditing of administrative access and logs
    • European operation and support
    • Contracts governed by European law

This results in verifiable controls throughout the entire lifecycle of sensitive data.

Deutsche Telekom acts as an independent European trusted partner.

Its responsibilities include:

    • Management of encryption keys
    • Control of access permissions
    • Review of administrative logs from Palo Alto Networks and Google Cloud
    • Operation and support of the sovereign environment by Europe-based personnel
    • Contractual relationship with customers

This gives Deutsche Telekom a central role in enforcing sovereignty requirements.

The solution uses Google Cloud’s External Key Manager. However, the encryption keys are managed exclusively by Deutsche Telekom and are beyond the control of Palo Alto Networks and Google. Deutsche Telekom alone decides which services are permitted to access the keys and under what conditions customer data may be decrypted.

All customer and system data, including telemetry and threat intelligence, is stored and processed within Europe. Access is restricted to authorised Europe-based personnel.

Sovereign Cortex with T Security has been developed to help organisations meet European compliance and sovereignty requirements.
These include, in particular, requirements from:

    • GDPR
    • NIS2
    • DORA
    • KRITIS and other critical infrastructure regulations

The solution offers verifiable technical and organisational controls that go beyond mere data localisation.

The first version is aimed at organisations with particularly high security and compliance requirements, including:

    • Healthcare
    • Financial services
    • Public sector
    • Critical infrastructure
There are plans to expand into other sectors.

Sovereign Cortex with T Security is based on direct engagement with regulated organisations and public authorities across Europe. The focus was on specific, verifiable requirements regarding data sovereignty, transparency and control. The architecture was specifically designed to adapt to future regulatory developments within Europe.

Customers gain access to the AI-powered security features of the Palo Alto Networks Cortex platform whilst benefiting from comprehensive sovereignty controls.

The first release of Sovereign Cortex with T Security is planned for the third quarter of 2026.
There are plans to gradually extend this to other sectors and areas of application.

About Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW), the global AI cybersecurity leader, protects our digital way of life with a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and platforms across Network, Cloud, Security Operations, AI and Identity. Trusted by 70,000+ customers and powered by Unit 42 threat intelligence, our AI-driven platforms eliminate complexity, empowering enterprises to modernize with confidence and securing the speed of innovation. Explore the future of security at www.paloaltonetworks.com.

About Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom (XETRA:DTE) is Europe’s leading digital telco company, serving around 220 million customers across mobile, fixed-network and IT services. Through its subsidiaries Deutsche Telekom Security and T-Systems, the Group is also one of Europe’s largest providers of cybersecurity and managed security services. With security operations centers across Europe, an end-to-end European network and IT infrastructure, and decades of experience serving regulated industries and public-sector customers, Deutsche Telekom provides the European trust anchor for sovereign digital services. Learn more at www.telekom.com/companyprofile.