Companies have been sensitized to the risks: According to a recent report by consulting firm Ernst & Young, 97 percent of the surveyed executives expect that they will face an even greater risk of cyberattacks and data leaks in the future. And they also know that they can hardly keep up with the rapid advances. That’s why we recommend that you give thought to end-to-end protection of your SAP systems now – no matter whether you’re still using SAP ERP or have already migrated to SAP S/4HANA. The sooner you start with an end-to-end strategy, the better you’ll protect yourself against threats – both internal and external.
Particularly where SAP S/4HANA is involved, it is essential to incorporate robust, consistent basic security in your migration strategy from the very start. The migration isn’t the only thing that you can trip over; failure to carefully consider the transfer of authorizations and/or source code early enough can also require significant additional effort and incur enormous expenses.
The right strategy of SAP security and compliance
I recommend a three-phase procedure, starting with an analysis of your current vulnerabilities. Once you have eliminated these vulnerabilities in the order of their priority, you have to make sure that no new vulnerabilities can arise.
1. Analyze your current weaknesses
The first step involves an in-depth analysis of the current situation with a security & compliance audit. Within days, our experts will determine your actual risk potential and identify potential attack vectors – in the infrastructure, SAP system parameters and module configuration, and in a review of authorizations and separation-of-duty risks.
2. Eliminate vulnerabilities
The identified vulnerabilities are then eliminated, with a special focus on databases, networks, and operating systems. After all, hackers often use systems like recruiting portals and web applications to gain access to SAP systems. It is also important to start thinking about the redesign of your authorization management for an SAP S/4HANA migration.
3. Stay safe: transparent real-time protection
Once you have made your systems safe, you face the challenge of making sure your SAP landscapes stay that way. A security dashboard shows you the big picture here. What’s more, real-time monitoring of the systems gives you end-to-end protection of your SAP landscapes, enabling you to react to acute security problems immediately.
You may find this approach to be complex, but the effort required pales in comparison to the damage that successful manipulation can cause.
Proper security planning will improve your bottom line in the long term. That’s why you should ultimately see this challenge as an opportunity as well: to improve the security of your SAP target system, streamline your role concepts, and enable use of the new system with all its benefits. With the right strategy and early consideration of SAP security and compliance, you and your company will be optimally equipped to handle whatever comes your way.
Would you like to find out more? Visit our SAST SOLUTIONS website or just get in touch.
Bodo Kahl, CEO SAST SOLUTIONS
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