Looking Ahead in SAP Security: 2025 Predictions by Holger Hügel, Product Management Director at SecurityBridge
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As we approach the new year, the landscape of SAP Security continues to unequivocally evolve, characterized by emerging challenges and opportunities. Holger Huegel, our Product Management Director, shares his key predictions on the future of SAP Security and the implications for organizations worldwide.
Stronger executive commitment to SAP Security
Regulatory requirements demand accountability
Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide will demand increased executive attention to SAP Security in 2025. Compliance frameworks like NIST and the European Union’s NIS2 directive are set to impose stricter standards, including personal liability for board members failing to achieve compliance, compelling them to prioritize robust governance, risk management, and compliance programs.
Organizations must increase investments in SAP Security as leadership increasingly recognizes its critical importance, with the protection of sensitive SAP systems becoming an even greater strategic priority.
Strategic initiatives for efficient SAP Operations
With the growing adoption of initiatives like RISE with SAP, businesses are making strategic decisions to optimize and modernize SAP operations. These efforts, while promising efficiency and innovation, introduce additional security requirements. Protecting sensitive data in these transformative environments will necessitate advanced, integrated security solutions that can adapt to evolving operational dynamics.
Secure migration processes, including encryption, data transmission, and storage, are critical as workloads move to SAP’s cloud ecosystem. Leaders must ensure their security strategies keep pace with these transformations. Strengthened monitoring, proactive threat detection, and compliance reporting tailored to hybrid environments are crucial. Executive commitment to these measures ensures businesses can maximize the benefits of SAP modernization while safeguarding their critical assets.
Rising complexity in hybrid SAP Environments
The transition to hybrid SAP environments – combining on-premises and cloud solutions – will continue to grow, presenting significant challenges in reporting and maintaining compliance. Organizations will struggle to unify compliance reporting across diverse platforms, necessitating sophisticated tools that can provide comprehensive visibility and actionable insights into their security posture.
Executives must champion investments in these technologies to ensure the organization’s SAP systems remain compliant, secure, and resilient while facing growing operational complexities.
AI on Both Sides of the Battle Line
Artificial Intelligence will play an increasingly pivotal role for both attackers and defenders on the frontlines of cybersecurity:
Cyber-attacks: sophisticated and SAP-Specific
Cyber threats will become more sophisticated and targeted, with attackers leveraging AI to develop SAP-specific exploits. These advanced threats will demand innovative defenses to identify vulnerabilities, enhance system resilience, and mitigate the growing risks effectively.
AI-powered SAP Security defenses:
On the other hand, the same AI advancements powering attacks can also be leveraged to strengthen the defenses. AI-driven solutions offer tangible use cases for SAP security operations. For instance:
- System Hardening: AI tools can analyze configuration settings and provide recommendations to mitigate vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
- Vulnerability Management: Machine learning models can prioritize vulnerabilities based on the threat landscape, enabling more effective patching strategies.
- Anomaly Detection: AI can monitor user behavior and system activities to identify deviations indicative of malicious intent or system compromise.
As the technology matures, these tools will provide SAP security teams with actionable insights and enhance their capacity to stay ahead of attackers.
The Rise of UEBA for SAP
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) will emerge as a critical tool for SAP Security in 2025. By focusing on patterns and behaviors, UEBA offers unparalleled insights into potential security threats, especially within complex environments.
Managing the Complexity of IAM in Hybrid SAP Environments
Hybrid SAP landscapes introduce complex Identity and Access Management (IAM) challenges. Organizations must address inconsistencies in authorization processes across on-premises and cloud environments.
UEBA solutions can bridge this gap by:
- Continuously monitoring user activities.
- Identifying anomalies in access patterns.
- Providing actionable insights to secure user interactions within SAP systems.
With these capabilities, UEBA tools empower organizations to enhance their IAM strategies while reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Fighting user account misuse
The misuse of user accounts through phishing, identity theft, and social engineering will rise significantly. Attackers are becoming more and more expert at exploiting human vulnerabilities, making it essential for defenders to implement robust mechanisms to promptly detect and respond to compromised accounts.
UEBA addresses these challenges by:
- Detecting unusual login attempts or access patterns.
- Identifying compromised accounts through behavioral deviations.
- Enabling rapid response mechanisms to mitigate threats before they escalate.
Exposure of SAP Applications to supply chain and business partners
With the expansion of SAP ecosystems through platforms like SAP Ariba and SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), the exposure of critical SAP applications to supply chain and business partners will increase. This broader access necessitates enhanced security measures, ensuring that partnerships do not become security liabilities.
UEBA solutions provide a critical layer of defense by:
- Monitoring interactions within these extended ecosystems.
- Highlighting unusual behaviors that may indicate security breaches.
- Supporting compliance reporting with detailed activity logs.
By embracing UEBA, organizations can navigate the complexities of interconnected SAP environments while maintaining robust security postures.
Preparing for the future
2025 will be a critical year for SAP Security, presenting unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Organizations must foster a culture of security at the executive level, and acknowledge the risks posed by AI-driven threats while harnessing the power of the same AI-based protections and UEBA to strengthen defenses. Investing in tools and processes that simplify compliance and secure hybrid environments will also be crucial.
Furthermore, fostering cross-functional collaboration will be even more essential. SAP Security cannot operate in isolation; it requires input and cooperation from various departments. By adopting a holistic, integrated approach to SAP Security, businesses can safeguard their critical assets while enhancing operational efficiency and resilience.
Proactive communication about security priorities will also strengthen stakeholder confidence. By transparently addressing vulnerabilities and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement, organizations can build trust with customers, partners, and regulators alike.
