Hello Fadhel, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. First of all, could you introduce yourself in a few words?
Hello Alisée. To put it briefly, I have 25 years' experience in infrastructure, management, operations and cloud project management. Since 2021, I've been Cloud Project Director at the Monaco Government IT Department, where I'm overseeing the transition to the Monegasque Sovereign Cloud.
A rich and varied career... What cloud platforms have you used to carry out these projects, and in what contexts?
I first worked on building a private cloud for a software publisher in the security sector.
I had to deal with severe regulatory and security constraints in sectors such as banking, insurance, the army and the civil service.
Later, I managed the infrastructure of a private cloud based on VMware technology for a software publisher in the supply chain sector, with thousands of customers (particularly in the agri-food and industrial sectors). I also had the opportunity to initiate a technological shift towards AWS (Amazon Web Services), integrating DevOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) approaches. So your experience covers some very regulated sectors, with a wide variety of technologies.
Among all these projects, can you tell us about a particularly complex one that you've managed?
I've managed several complex projects with varying constraints, but I'll tell you about the most recent one: the sovereign cloud project for the Princely Government, which was part of the development of digital technology in Monaco.
Back in 2018, the Princely Government decided to build a sovereign cloud to protect data from extraterritorial regulations, particularly those imposed by the United States.
A private structure, Monaco Cloud (MCC), was set up as a cloud service provider (CSP). My role in the IT Department was to support the creation of the MCC service offering and to facilitate the use of these services by the entities of the Princely Government. Today, around 20% of the DITN's virtual machines are hosted by MCC. There were a number of challenges: on a technical level, an initial attempt to work with AWS was unsuccessful, despite significant investment.
There was also resistance to change, and I helped to evangelise the technical and project teams to facilitate the adoption of these new services.
A large-scale project with national sovereignty at stake must have been particularly motivating. Let's talk a little about data security in the cloud. How do you ensure this security in your projects?
There are several security standards that guide the implementation of best practices. Standards such as ISO 27001 enable us to manage the security of an information system, from organisational aspects through to technical implementation and monitoring of changes. The cloud promotes the automation of installations and changes, as well as the notion of Time To Market (i.e. the ability to rapidly deploy new solutions on an industrialised basis, with the benefit of an extensive catalogue of services).
DevOps, SecOps, DevSecOps and Infrastructure as Code methodologies enable security to be integrated into every stage of the technical process, from infrastructure to application.
Within the Monaco Government, we follow a certification process based on risk identification and the application of State security measures. We are supervised by the Monegasque Digital Security Agency (AMSN), the equivalent of the ANSSI in France.
So security is built in right from the design stage, which is reassuring for users. How does Inforca help you in your day-to-day work?
Inforca has an excellent reputation, both for its reliability and for the quality of the profiles it sends out. It also maintains good relations with the DITN teams, which is invaluable in carrying out my assignment.
Finally, how do you see cloud technologies developing over the next five years?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone's lips. We can imagine that it will be used more and more to support, or even one day replace, profiles such as developers, SecOps, DevOps, SysOps and even architects. Quantum computing, which is still under development, could also multiply current computing power. In terms of future developments, containerisation is already well established, offering advantages such as portability and agility across multiple clouds. Perhaps we'll see these technologies become more widespread?
Finally, it is possible that we will see more and more public cloud instances hosted in private infrastructures, such as AWS Outpost or Google, which deploy solutions for government customers.
This would enable companies or governments to benefit from the managed services of the public cloud, while respecting data sovereignty requirements.
Interview by Alisée, Digital Development and Events Manager at Inforca, with Fadhel, Cloud Project Director at Inforca.
