HDS - Hébergement des Données de Santé

HDS covers a range of hosting and IT activities, including: - Providing and maintaining physical data center infrastructure - Managing and operating virtual infrastructure (e.g., cloud services) - Administration and management of information systems containing health data - External backup and secure storage of health data - Business continuity and disaster recovery services

Providers must be certified for each specific activity they offer.

Health data is any information related to an individual’s physical or mental health, including healthcare services provided and medical records. This includes diagnoses, treatments, prescriptions, test results, and other data revealing the health status of a person. The definition is aligned with the GDPR and detailed by the French CNIL. More information is available on the CNIL website.

While HDS certification is required by French law, it also demonstrates high standards for health data protection across Europe. For organizations outside France, using an HDS-certified provider like Exoscale is a strong signal to customers, regulators, and partners of your commitment to the highest levels of data security and privacy for sensitive health information—even when not legally required.