Modernize to Deliver: A strategic roadmap for the Public Sector and Higher Education

At Linkcom, we know that modernizing to the cloud goes far beyond migrating legacy applications to new servers. It involves rethinking architectures, adopting cloud-native services, and ensuring a secure-by-design approach from the outset—aligned with growing compliance requirements such as NIS2, DORA, and GDPR.

For the public sector and higher education, this is not just a technological step. It is a strategic decision with a direct impact on trust, resilience, and the ability to better serve citizens and academic communities.

 

Cloud Modernization: Much More Than Lift & Shift

Cloud modernization involves transforming applications, adopting new operating models, and integrating security into every step. Here's how this approach improves regulatory compliance and cybersecurity maturity:

• Microservices architecture: Dividing monolithic applications into smaller, autonomous services helps contain potential attacks and facilitates segmentation—a core principle of any serious security strategy.

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Automates the provisioning and configuration of cloud infrastructure, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring consistency in security settings—a critical point for any compliance audit.

• Containerization and orchestration: Containers create consistent and secure environments for running applications. Tools like Kubernetes automate management, improving resilience and allowing more granular control over security policies.

• Serverless: Eliminates the need to manage physical or virtual servers. Reduces the attack surface and transfers some of the security responsibility to the cloud provider, simplifying compliance requirements.

• DevSecOps: Integrates security into the development cycle from the beginning. Ensures that each update or new feature is evaluated and validated against security criteria—essential for compliance with standards such as NIS2 or Financial Industry Audit Requirements (DORA).

 

Concrete benefits for the Public Sector and Higher Education in Portugal

Modernizing to the cloud isn't just for large multinationals. But how can public and academic institutions benefit?

• Cost reduction: less investment in own infrastructure, payment per consumption.

• Greater agility: the ability to launch new services or applications in weeks instead of months.

• Enhanced security: robust controls, encryption, identity management, and centralized logs.

• Compliance made easy: policy automation, reporting, and simplified audits.

This transformation requires rigorous and well-structured planning. At Linkcom, we begin by helping organizations analyze in detail the applications they already use and assess their suitability for the cloud. Together, we define modernization priorities and identify the critical dependencies and partners that can impact the project's success. From this foundation, we help build a clear and realistic roadmap, fully aligned with each client's operational, budgetary, and regulatory objectives.

To ensure sustainable results, we combine our technical expertise with a solid understanding of legal requirements in Portugal and the European Union. We work side by side with clients at every stage: from designing secure and scalable cloud architectures to implementing Microsoft solutions and multi-cloud environments with a full focus on compliance. We seamlessly integrate DevSecOps practices into development and operations processes, and we always provide the necessary training and support to empower internal teams to maintain and evolve these solutions with confidence.

Modernizing to the cloud isn't just a technology upgrade. It's a strategic choice to protect data, ensure compliance, and better serve citizens and communities.

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