As one of the most widely used enterprise software, SAP applications encompass critical aspects of business operations, ranging from CRM and ERP to financial transactions and supply chain management. The sensitive data contained within the SAP applications are under increasingly rampant threats of data loss. Externally, researchers discovered a 400% increase in ransomware incidents that involved compromising the SAP systems and data in recent years. Internally, dispersed workforce and extended collaboration landscape increased the risks of accidental data leakage.
The imperative to guard against external and internal threats calls for a fine-grained and flexible solution that protects SAP data regardless of where it resides throughout its lifecycle. This is a scenario where a data protection solution can help. Data loss protection is a combination of methods and technologies that categorize, identify, and safeguard sensitive data against unauthorized access, modification, sharing, and use. This article discusses the mechanism and consequences of data leakage in SAP applications, and how a data loss protection solution can help prevent these disastrous results.
How can Data Loss Happen?
The term data loss is often related to “data breach” and “data leak” but are not strictly interchangeable. The three terms describe unwanted exposure of sensitive data, but they incorporate different types of incidents and characteristics.
Let’s examine the definitions of these three terms:
- A data breach, as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is the unauthorized access or use of sensitive data. It usually involves intentional cyberattacks conducted by external or internal parties exploiting security vulnerabilities.
- A data leak refers to the unauthorized disclosure of information, usually due to the unintentional exposure of sensitive data in transit or at rest. It is largely due to internal causes like personal negligence but can also result from phishing by cybercriminals following a previous breach. Due to its accidental nature, it may take an organization some time to identify the leak and act accordingly.
- A data loss refers to an incident where data is destroyed, deleted, corrupted, or made unreadable by users and software applications. It is often unintentional and caused by internal reasons, affecting data availability and integrity.
A data loss protection solution speaks to all three categories, which cause unwanted exposure of sensitive data to unauthorized parties.
In SAP systems, the risks of data loss are inherent in the daily workflow of an organization. Unauthorized access and modification of databases, whether intentional or not, can easily lead to data loss. In the context of global partnerships, supply chains, and a diversified workforce, it is challenging to restrict data flow within a fixed perimeter. It is common to download and share relevant documents with external users – whether as attachments, document info records, or AO reports – potentially disclosing sensitive information inadvertently.
Consequences of Data Leaks in SAP
SAP applications entail various types of sensitive data, including intellectual property, trade secrets, financial data, sales forecasts, customer lists, and pricing information. Therefore, data loss within SAP systems can result in severe financial and legal costs for organizations. For example, mishandling an AO report might expose the company’s trade secrets to unauthorized parties, causing great financial loss, a trust crisis among customers, and potential legal consequences.
Another major concern regarding SAP data leakage is regulatory noncompliance. Companies use the SAP system to process large amounts of Personal Identifiable Information (PII), such as names, Social Security numbers, and addresses. If PII is leaked, companies risk violating regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability