Manufacturing
Perimeter Security
Every SAP logon verified biometrically, on PCs, laptops and over VPN, ending password sharing at the door.
- Customer
- KPMG client, Mexico
- users across multiple locations
- 1,000
“With the implementation of this solution, the client has graduated from the obsolete world of passwords to a far more controlled environment of biometric identity management. The client has a far better understanding of when and how each user had access to their SAP system. The project has been a complete success.”
The situation
KPMG was retained by a manufacturing client, a division of a multi-national firm, to identify and implement upgraded security for its SAP ECC6 installation. The solution had to cover many locations and a substantial SAP user group. KPMG recommended that a major change, using SAP-centric biometric identity management, was the best course to follow.
The business was growing quickly, with many warehouse and office locations over a large geographical area, and a workforce not necessarily tied to a specific location.
Why perimeter access came first
The most important first step in securing an SAP installation is to take control of perimeter access. Username and password combinations alone do not provide identity management. Only biometric authentication can do that.
As a baseline, all current employees with SAP access are enrolled biometrically, stepping security up to a mandatory two-factor process. The abuse or sharing of passwords, whether voluntary or covert, is alleviated, as each perimeter access transaction becomes a logged event that indisputably identifies the actual user.
The challenge
- Know who has access to SAP
- Eliminate password sharing
- Provide a robust audit trail of users’ access to SAP
- Prevent unauthorised access
- Achieve complete SAP perimeter access control
- Create indisputable user accountability
What was implemented
- Enrol all authorised users with biometric profiles, regardless of SAP function
- Require biometric access control at every logon
- Maintain an audit log, including failed attempts, for analysis
- Mandatory biometric identity management for 1,000 users at multiple locations
- Biometrically secured SAP logon for all users on PCs and laptops, by direct access or VPN
The outcome
- True identity management for all employees, with complete flexibility of workplace rotation
- A tamper-proof audit trail in effect