Top 5 use cases for air-gapped collaboration in 2026

What is air-gapped collaboration, and why is it important?

The lifeline of every organization is its data. From customer emails and supplier contacts to employee HR records: it’s what keeps your organization moving.

But collecting and processing data is only half the challenge, because protecting it has become just as critical. Just think of the challenges posed by increasing geopolitical tensions, supply-chain cyber attacks, and stricter data sovereignty laws.

How do you ensure tight security for the most sensitive data?

One approach lies in air-gapped collaboration: The practice of deliberately isolating your system from external networks, such as the Internet. This security concept for offline collaboration has been around for a long time and is still a popular choice in 2026.

With air-gapped systems, there is no connection with the outside world, there is nothing that can leak, and you are eliminating silent data infiltration, unexpected API calls, and even hidden third-party dependencies.

Disconnecting critical systems from external networks offers powerful advantages for industries that are looking for the highest levels of protection, as these five use cases show.

1. Medical data: From research facilities to laboratory and medical equipment

Imagine working in a high-security lab, doing genomic research or vaccine development. You are handling extremely sensitive data that comes with irreversible risk, while also having to ensure your research doesn’t get stolen. And medical data extends further than research. Think of insurers collecting data on customers or hospitals saving patients’ records: compliance with strict data regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is of the utmost importance. In this use case, air-gapped collaboration on a sovereign platform ensures patient data, research IP, and clinical trial results stay exactly where they belong.

How air-gapped collaboration supports security in medical data

• Protection against intellectual property theft in lab research
• Compliance with strict health and research regulations
• Reduced risk of data exfiltration during cyber incidents at hospitals, insurance companies, labs & other medical facilities

2. Military: Preserving confidentiality of operational security (OPSEC)

By keeping classified documents completely isolated from the public internet, air-gapped systems ensure that sensitive information is only accessible to personnel with the appropriate security clearance and on a strict need-to-know basis. Defense organizations can securely share files, co-edit mission-critical documents, and maintain detailed audit trails, all within a compartmentalized environment designed to reduce risk and limit exposure. By doing so, air-gapping for OPSEC enables collaboration while preserving the confidentiality and integrity of military intelligence and operations.

How air-gapped collaboration supports military OPSEC

• Zero exposure to external attacks
• Granular, compartmentalized access control
• Full control over encryption keys

3. Critical infrastructure systems: Making sure the light stays on

Connecting operational networks (OT) to the internet remains one of the biggest security risks in industrial environments. That’s why infrastructure systems, including nuclear plants, power grids, water treatment plants, and transportation systems, should not be heavily dependent on the public cloud. But operators and engineers still need to be able to collaborate on maintenance documentation, incident reports, or configuration files. Air-gapped collaboration platforms allow these teams to work together inside protected networks.

How air-gapped collaboration supports security for critical infrastructure systems

• Prevents lateral movement from IT to OT
• Reduces ransomware and supply-chain risk
• Supports long-lived infrastructure with minimal change

4. Government: Keeping your citizens’ data safe

Air-gapping is a popular choice for critical government data. Because air-gapped collaboration systems on-premises or in sovereign data centers give governments the ability to collaborate securely, even during connectivity outages or political escalations. Apart from security, it also ensures compliance with data protection laws for citizens’ data, as well as independence from foreign cloud providers.

How air-gapped collaboration supports security for governments

• Absolute data control and security
• Long-term archiving and traceability
• Independence from external vendors and geopolitics

5. First responder teams: Staying connected during natural disasters

Disasters have a nasty habit of taking networks down with them, which is why being prepared for communications in network outages is crucial for first responders. Emergency response teams, humanitarian organizations, and disaster recovery units can rely on offline-capable, air-gapped collaboration to share situation reports or coordinate logistics, even when the internet is gone.

How air-gapped collaboration supports security for emergency response teams

• Works during outages and infrastructure failures
• Predictable performance under stress
• No dependency on external services in crisis situations

Air-gapped collaboration with Nextcloud: Keeping your data safe at all times

Online collaboration is hugely important.

From a connection to your cloud to access to apps, your computer is in constant contact with the internet and other networks, exposing it to risks. But by connecting your system to the real world, you are effectively opening it to the world and all the opportunities for data breaches that come with.

Air-gapped collaboration offers a solution to protect sensitive data against external threats, while still ensuring the possibility of collaboration.

At Nextcloud, we have extensive experience with air-gapping, providing the highest level of protection for critical data by physically isolating your system from external networks and potential attack vectors.