Glossary Terms

SAP RFC (Remote Function Call) is a proprietary protocol used to communicate and exchange data between SAP systems and external applications. It is critical for SAP security teams to secure these connections because misconfigured or over-privileged RFCs provide attackers with a direct pathway to execute operating system commands, extract sensitive data, and bypass application access…

RISE with SAP is a comprehensive managed cloud service and subscription model designed to help organizations migrate their on-premises ERP systems to the cloud. It is critical for enterprise security teams because migrating to this model fundamentally changes the organization’s security architecture. While SAP manages the underlying infrastructure and baseline security, the customer remains entirely…

DevSecOps (Development, Security, and Operations) is the practice of integrating automated security checks at every phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). It is critical for SAP development and security teams because heavily customized ERP applications often introduce vulnerabilities, such as missing authorization checks or SQL injections, directly into production environments. By integrating security into…

Clean Core is a strategic architectural approach that emphasizes streamlining a core SAP system by eliminating unnecessary or redundant custom code while optimizing the essential custom code that remains. It is critical for SAP architecture and security teams because heavily customized ERP systems introduce technical debt, complicate software upgrades, and expand the attack surface. Adopting…

Patch Management is the systematic process of identifying, acquiring, testing, and installing updates or fixes to software applications. It is critical for SAP and ERP security teams because unpatched vulnerabilities in business-critical systems provide attackers with a direct path to sensitive financial data and core operational processes. Executing these updates is a core component of…

ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) Code is the proprietary programming language used to develop and customize applications within the SAP ecosystem. It is critical for SAP development and security teams to monitor because insecure custom ABAP code often introduces severe vulnerabilities, such as SQL injections or missing authorization checks, directly into business-critical environments. Securing this…

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Security is the comprehensive set of practices, tools, and policies designed to protect business-critical applications from unauthorized access, data breaches, and operational disruption. Because ERP systems like SAP and Oracle centralize an organization’s most sensitive data (including financial records, human resources information, and supply chain logistics), they are high-value targets for…

Change Monitoring in Enterprise Applications is the systematic tracking of modifications made to system configurations, custom code, and user permissions within an ERP landscape. In complex environments, even minor changes can lead to “configuration drift,” where a system’s security posture diverges from its intended baseline. Monitoring these changes is a fundamental requirement for maintaining both…

Incident Response is the structured approach to managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack. In ERP environments, standard IT incident response playbooks often face visibility limitations because traditional EDR and network tools cannot interpret proprietary application layer protocols such as RFC or DIAG. Effective SAP incident response requires specialized forensic data extraction to…