Addressing SAP Security Gaps

ISACA Podcast

SAP systems are treated differently than many other enterprise applications from a cybersecurity perspective. Most SAP security teams are siloed and left to meet security objectives on their own. Since SAP is so integral to organizations, it is unusual for SAP security objectives to not be on the radar of an existing 24/7 cybersecurity team executing response actions for Linux or Microsoft environments. SAP teams must be integrated w

SAP systems are treated differently than many other enterprise applications from a cybersecurity perspective. Most SAP security teams are siloed and left to meet security objectives on their own. Since SAP is so integral to organizations, it is unusual for SAP security objectives to not be on the radar of an existing 24/7 cybersecurity team executing response actions for Linux or Microsoft environments. SAP teams must be integrated with other cybersecurity groups within an organization to empower them with a security approach that unifies the entire enterprise landscape.

A chief information security officer (CISO) has many priorities, but when it comes to SAP environments, CISOs must fully understand how SAP applies to the IT enterprise and organizational environment to help them achieve all security goals. In addition, CISOs need to know their SAP team members personally so they can integrate them rather than contain them in silos. Finally, SAP must be secured to the same degree as other enterprise applications. When there is a Linux, Microsoft, or even a hybrid cloud incident, cybersecurity teams have a detailed plan of action upon which they are ready to act. SAP requires high-level consideration, or critical elements of the business will be vulnerable to malicious cyber actors—with no apparent response.