Why ERP Cybersecurity is a Priority

Your enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, like SAP and Oracle, are the operational engine of your business. They run the critical applications and hold the sensitive data that keep you functioning. But because they’re so essential, they’re also a primary target for attack. Understanding the fundamentals of ERP security isn’t just an IT issue; it’s a core business requirement.

Payroll

Treasury

Inventory Management

Manufacturing

Sales

Logistics

Billing

PII & PHI

ERP Security is Often Forgotten

Your ERP systems often exist in a cybersecurity blindspot. Traditional security tools don’t see into the complex application layer, leaving you unprotected against both internal misuse and external attacks. Understanding the unique challenges of foundational SAP security is the first step toward closing this dangerous gap.

Why Traditional Security Falls Short

The core of the problem is complexity. Securing ERP applications requires deep visibility that most organizations lack because every implementation is highly customized with:

  • Dozens of specialized modules
  • Hundreds of interfaces to other systems
  • Thousands of custom code modifications

Standard security offerings from SAP and Oracle can’t scale to cover this unique attack surface, and traditional cybersecurity vendors don’t provide visibility into this application layer. The first step to gaining control is a dedicated SAP security assessment to understand your true risk posture.

Security Concerns & Risk Factors for ERP Applications

Increasing Sophisticated ERP System Attacks

Threat actors are actively targeting ERP systems with sophisticated attacks, from ransomware to espionage. The vulnerability landscape is constantly changing, which is why the intelligence from our dedicated Onapsis Research Labs is critical for staying ahead of attackers. A breach here doesn’t just mean downtime; it can halt your entire business operation.

Cloud Migration and Modernization Risks

Migrating to the cloud with programs like RISE with SAP is key to improving efficiency. However, this shift introduces new security complexities and expands your attack surface. Building cybersecurity for SAP RISE isn’t just a part of the project; it’s central to its success.

Strict Compliance Mandates

Industries from pharmaceuticals to energy and utilities are subject to strict government regulations. Failing a compliance audit for critical infrastructure or data protection can lead to massive fines and reputational damage. The key is to move away from manual, reactive checks toward automated compliance.

Strict Audit Requirements

Pharmaceutical companies, for example, are subject to strict compliance regulations by government offices for drug development as well as for the protection of patient and customer data. Failure to comply with laws and regulations can result in significant financial impacts to the organization including fines, revenue loss, and reputation damage.

Digitization and Interconnecting the Supply Chain

To create more agile supply chains, businesses are building deeply interconnected systems. This transformation, along with modern CI/CD pipelines, introduces risks from custom code and third-party integrations. This is why a strong DevSecOps for SAP strategy is critical to embed security into your development lifecycle.

New Models and Processes Needed to Support Sustainability

Heavy manufacturing in particular, faces both regulatory and consumer pressure, therefore manufacturers are adopting new service-based models, industry 4.0 technologies, circular supply chains, and green manufacturing processes to reduce emissions and create greener products.

Expanded E-Commerce and Digital Sales

As more retail manufacturers shift to direct-to-consumer models, protecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is paramount. Failure to do so can result in significant financial loss from reputation damage and non-compliance with major regulations. A robust SAP GRC framework is essential for managing these data privacy risks effectively.

The Answer: A Unified ERP Security Platform

You can’t protect your most valuable assets with generic security tools. You need a comprehensive approach that provides unparalleled visibility into your critical applications. The Onapsis Platform is designed to help security, IT, and audit teams manage security and compliance from a single viewpoint. By integrating capabilities to Assess vulnerabilities, Defend against threats, and Control custom code, we provide a unified solution to the risks outlined above.

1. Implement a Risk-Based Vulnerability Management
2. Continuously Monitor Threats
3. Stay On Top of Software Updates
4. Patch Quickly with Automation
5. Secure By Design
6. Driven In Part by Our Threat Labs Infrastructure
1. Implement a Risk-Based Vulnerability Management

Firewalls and vulnerability scanners are crucial in protecting networks and infrastructure, but they often fall short in securing the ERP application layer. This layer, including SAP protocols like P4, can be misused and requires specialized attention to prevent vulnerabilities.

Risk-based vulnerability management of the application can capture a complete view of an enterprise’s threat environment and help security teams save significant time, money, and resources that may have otherwise been spent on lower-priority items.

2. Continuously Monitor Threats

Security teams have implemented defense-in-depth strategies in an attempt to protect the application layer from these threats. But, existing defense-in-depth solutions are not specifically focused on threats and vulnerabilities for business-critical applications.

Threat detection and response tools that continuously monitor threat intelligence sources can detect compromised ERP credentials.

3. Stay On Top of Software Updates

Update ERP regularly to prevent bugs from impacting the system and protect information from being leaked or stolen. Keeping your system regularly up-to-date by keeping up with software updates makes the ERP less vulnerable to external threats.

4. Patch Quickly with Automation

Organizations face a growing backlog of patches. Manual patch management can be error-prone, and there isn’t an easy way to identify prioritization or patch gaps. Additionally, automated patch management minimizes the risk of critical vulnerabilities and protects the business’s most important assets.

5. Secure By Design

Organizations need a way to check that custom code and the transports that bring it in don’t introduce new security, performance, or compliance issues. An application security testing solution can replace the time-consuming and error-prone remediation process, enabling organizations to build security into development processes to find and fix issues as quickly as possible.

6. Driven In Part by Our Threat Labs Infrastructure

Timely, impactful threat intelligence programs can provide insight into threat actors for pre-patch protection. They can also provide early alerts about zero-day compromises, new ransomware campaigns, and assist in security control design and implementation.

Achieve Total SAP Security

As the only cybersecurity and compliance solution endorsed by SAP, the Onapsis Platform delivers the industry’s most trusted protection for business-critical SAP applications. Powered by the pioneering zero-day research of the Onapsis Research Labs, we provide unified vulnerability management, real-time threat detection, and automated compliance, designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing security and IT operations ecosystem.

Stay Ahead of Evolving Threats

You can’t protect against threats you don’t see coming. Our dedicated Onapsis Research Labs, the world’s leading ERP security research team, is constantly finding zero-day vulnerabilities in SAP, Oracle, and SaaS applications. As the most prolific contributor of vulnerability research recognized by SAP, we provide the critical threat intelligence you need to stay protected.

If you’re ready to secure your ERP, visit our resource center:

The ongoing discoveries from the Onapsis Research Labs keeps The Onapsis Platform ahead of ever-evolving cybersecurity threats.

Unlock SAP Cybersecurity Excellence

At Onapsis, we specialize in eliminating vulnerabilities, fortifying your SAP environment, and safeguarding your business-critical applications. Discover a seamless path to comprehensive security and peace of mind with our tailored solutions.