3 Challenges to SAP Penetration Testing

The security of SAP is a balancing act involving processes, controls, and tools to restrict users’ access within the SAP landscape. This helps to ensure that the access to the functionality is legitimate. That means the users share restricted access based on their job needs. To avoid damage to the data, it is prevented from unauthorized access. Meanwhile, the access should not lock out staff members in their workflows. Probably, the requirement is to restrict the employees from spending unproductive time getting back to work. In order to ensure SAP security, cybersecurity should be in place. Penetration testing plays a significant role in achieving SAP security.

SAP security focuses mainly on internal threats, whereas cybersecurity focuses on internal and external threats. Hence, cybersecurity is a bigger landscape where SAP joins as an entity. A capable security services manager can help in eliminating the potential risks involved in SAP security. An information security expert can help monitor, revamp, and remediate the security risks of SAP. Government regulation and control (GRC) frames policies to examine and regulate users’ capabilities. The GRC regulates new users’ provisions and identifies gaps that are not in alignment with the compliance.

Challenges to run an SAP Penetration Test 

1. Implementing security patching

The downwards compatible policy dictates the SAP security patches. This stands for manual post-installation activities to apply security patches. In the absence of these activities, the patch is not active. It, therefore, remains vulnerable. The penetration tester defines the post-installation activities enabling the successful implementation of security patching in the SAP environment.

2. Establishing, monitoring and implementing SAP security baseline

The security guidance using the SAP security baseline template will help before conducting a penetration test. As a matter of fact, it helps in detecting simple and popular issues of critical basis authorizations, standard passwords, remote function calls, call back security, insecure profile parameters, etc.

3. Finding the right person to perform penetration testing

A general penetration tester may not be competent to perform penetration testing in the SAP environment. A specialist having exposed this methodology during the certification program will be able to penetrate the SAP platform. For that reason, a certification that assesses the performance of the professional testers helps them with the knowledge of security architecture to cover the best project scope in the organization.

How does ECSA contribute to SAP penetration testing? 

EC-Council Certified Security Analyst certification is a comprehensive program on penetration testing. The program covers a set of distinguishable comprehensive methodologies that are able to cover different penetration testing requirements across different verticals. It comes with an effective iLabs cyber range that gives hands-on learning in penetration testing. The new ECSA v10 focuses on penetration testing tools and methodologies that improve upon the best from ISO 27001, OSSTM, and NIST standards. The skills acquired during the ECSA program can be challenged and tested by another incredible certification ECSA Practical. The assessment test requires you to demonstrate the incomparable penetration testing methodologies that are often raised in real-time scenarios

Source: eccouncil.org