Thought Leadership

SAP Fiori Applications: Key Considerations and Best Practices

January 29, 2024 By Soterion

SAP Fiori applications significantly elevate the usability and user experience of SAP software through an intuitive and responsive design. While offering a streamlined interface, there are associated risks that SAP managers and SAP administrators should be mindful of.

In this article, we delve into what SAP Fiori entails, its advantages and challenges, and strategies to enhance the security of your Fiori implementation.

What is SAP Fiori?

SAP Fiori serves as a simplified user interface for SAP, aiming to deliver an enhanced user experience by introducing a structured, cohesive design language. It optimises compatibility with mobile devices and web applications, allowing for interface customisation to cater to diverse user needs. Despite its user-friendly appearance, the platform is comprised of multiple integrated applications.

The advantages of SAP Fiori

The user-centric approach of SAP Fiori provides several advantages:

  • Improved interface which is easy-to-learn.
  • Enhanced productivity by minimising irrelevant information.
  • Customisable interfaces to meet specific user requirements.
  • Compatibility with a wide range of desktop and mobile devices.
  • Future-proof design using standard technologies ensures ongoing support.

SAP Fiori security challenges

While offering numerous benefits, SAP Fiori introduces security challenges:

  • Increased risk with diverse devices and connections accessing SAP systems.
  • SAP Fiori apps are misaligned with the SAP Transaction Codes it has replaced. In some cases the Fiori app can perform more functions than the SAP Transaction it replaced.
  • Troubleshooting complexities due to the additional functionality that SAP Fiori offers, as well as changes to how Fiori works with SAP, such as the replacement of transaction codes.

SAP Fiori security best practices and strategies

To safeguard the security of your Fiori implementation and SAP systems, consider the following best practices and strategies.

1. Follow basic security practices

  • Run the latest versions of SAP and other software to ensure the most recent security updates are installed.
  • Educate users to follow standard security practices, such as never downloading and opening suspicious attachments, never sharing passwords, and making use of strong passwords.
  • Implement single sign-on (SSO) and two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA).
  • Make use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) or other security protocols to encrypt connections.
  • Use firewalls to limit access to approved services.
  • Configure your SAP Security to adhere to the principle of least privileged

2. Audit your system for vunerabilities

It’s essential that the security team is aware of vulnerabilities in the organisation’s SAP system and regularly audit them for potential risks. There may be potential vulnerabilities in how software is configured that inadvertently expose your system to certain types of attacks. For example, if the team hasn’t recently performed an SAP user access review or do not have an access risk management tool in place, an incorrectly configured SAP user account could allow unauthorised access. The use of SAP Fiori applications creates an additional layer that users could gain unauthorised access to, and therefore should regularly be audited to ensure these applications are correctly configured.

    3. Use SAP Fiori authorisation systems

    Further strengthen security by making use of appropriate user roles to grant access to Fiori apps. This can be done by referencing SAP Fiori business catalogs and technical catalogs. Properly configured user roles ensure authorised access to necessary data, while unauthorised users are prevented from accessing irrelevant systems and data. Whilst SAP Fiori business catalogs offer a recommendation of Fiori apps that form part of typical user roles within a business process, SAP Fiori technical catalogs provide the recommended point of reference when building SAP Fiori apps into a custom role design. This ensures Fiori apps in the custom role design are kept up-to-date with the latest SAP enhancements during software upgrade.

    Conclusion

    While SAP Fiori elevates the SAP user experience, addressing security challenges through best practices and expert assistance ensures a robust and secure implementation, allowing organisations to capitalise on its benefits without compromising data integrity and system security.

    Let Soterion assist you with your SAP Fiori security

    Embrace the benefits of SAP Fiori with confidence by leveraging Soterion’s expert SAP security consultants. Our Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) software equips you with tools to identify, analyse, and continually monitor actual and potential risks.

    Contact [email protected] for more information or to request a demo.

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