SAP Authorization Management: Simple and Convenient

Ideally, SAP authorizations are granted only as needed to perform specific tasks. In special cases, however, additional authorizations are required to carry out certain one-time activities. In the standard SAP system, there is no direct way to temporarily grant access to transactions or tools with higher security levels. Furthermore, authorizations are not automatically revoked once they are no longer needed.

“I think this solution is great because it allows us to log all activities and system accesses, which helps us meet the requirements of our auditor and comply with our compliance guidelines. Fast access, quick implementation, and instant documentation at the click of a button were the key factors that led us to choose UAM.”

Harald Jell, Head of Logistics for Thermoplastics & SAP at Lenzing Plastics

In practice, this is sometimes addressed by granting a user additional system permissions. This applies, for example, to temporary permissions such as vacation or substitution arrangements. When employees change departments, it is also common for their old permissions to simply remain in place. All in all, this is an approach that poses significant security risks, both in terms of unauthorized access and unintended modifications. Furthermore, it can lead to legitimate and uncomfortable questions during the annual audit.

EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATE SECURITY RISKS WITH UAM

INFORMATICS recognized this need early on and offers a user-friendly Firefighter tool called User Access Management (UAM), which is fully integrated into SAP. This makes it easy to assign additional permissions to individual users as self-service profiles. When the need arises, these users can then access the extended permissions in a flash without having to log in again. All activities they perform with these permissions are then fully logged and can be made available to an auditor at the click of a button. Once the security-critical tasks are completed, logging is automatically stopped. Authorization profiles can be assigned not only to individual users but also to entire departments.

Berndorf Band Group and Lenzing Plastics are now benefiting from UAM and using this streamlined tool to manage day-to-day operations in the SAP IT department in a more structured and efficient manner.