Going Beyond Identity Governance with Pathlock

⇨ SAP GRC Access Control is the most widely used governance solution, with 45% of organizations utilizing it, while 24% plan to implement SAP Cloud Identity Access Governance.

⇨ Incorporating risk management into Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) processes is becoming essential, as companies seek to establish comprehensive provisioning with tools like Pathlock's Application Access Governance (AAG).

⇨ Proactive risk management in access governance is critical for preventing financial penalties and reputational damage, with a focus on continuous monitoring and fine-grained risk assessments.

SAP organizations are increasingly prioritizing management of access to essential data and processes. SAPinsider’s recent Automating and Integrating GRC Processes 2024 benchmark research report found that SAP GRC Access Control is the most commonly-run GRC solution, utilized by 45% of respondents. Further, 24% of respondents said that they were planning to implement SAP Cloud Identity Access Governance, the highest share of any potential implementation.

Ensuring that only the right people have access to crucial data and systems when they need it is clearly the top GRC priority. To make this process run more smoothly, many companies are automating essential access functions through Identity Governance and Administration (IGA). Yet even with this level of attention, SAP organizations may not be going far enough in access provisioning workflows.

Including Risk in Access Governance

While typical IGA solutions manage user access, many leading companies are increasingly incorporating risk into their overall GRC posture. The GRC experts at Pathlock have taken IGA a step further with its Application Access Governance solution, which includes a risk management layer, allowing users to enact a more comprehensive provisioning process.

Application Access Governance allows companies to perform more fine-grained risk assessments – allowing GRC teams to dig deeper into permissions, rather than simply relying on role-level information. This can sometimes falsely identify users as a threat when they do have the appropriate permissions.

Additionally, adding risk consideration into IGA solutions provides organizations with the opportunity to address risk proactively, rather than simply waiting for improper access. Pathlock’s AAG offering reviews exposure throughout the provisioning process. This allows companies to understand the risks associated with certain permissions before granting them, giving them an end-to-end view of their risk exposure. IGA solutions often stop scanning for risks once permission is granted. AAG offers continuous monitoring and risk mitigation, which helps maintain a secure environment.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Managing access to sensitive information is a top priority for all GRC teams. Yet understanding who should and should not be granted access should be the first step of any successful approach. Organizations must proactively measure and mitigate the ongoing risks they face.

Organizations that do not properly manage risk can cost themselves significant financial penalties and incalculable reputational damage. Leading SAP organizations are proactively managing their risk as a part of their access governance posture. Many of these companies are turning to Pathlock and its Application Access Governance (AAG) product to help incorporate risk mitigation into access governance.

By measuring and mitigating risk with fine-grained identification tools, companies can ensure that they are secure and compliant. This sets them up for continued safety and success into the future.