To be a leading entrepreneur and to increase a business, one should focus on processing their business with proper planning and execution. The best way is to analyze the data and strategize accordingly for better results. But it is difficult sometimes to store so much of data and hence the data gets misplaced. So we have ERP.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a software solution that provides manufacturers with the information necessary to effectively manage their business processings. ERP is a fully integrated real-time system giving the information needed to grow business. ERP connects agility by collecting information from every department, every process throughout the entire enterprise. This means, up to the moment, seamless communication and accurate picture of the valuable resources and tools with better project plans. This is total business intelligence with quote to figure out management potential and sleek office automation. ERP equips you with ability to instantaneously track orders and monitor the acquisition of raw materials, parts, services and labor.
A complete ERP solution integrates a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and the Quality Management Module. MES enhances ERP with up to the moment in process job data. This provides the ability to make critical adjustments immediately. With real-time quality management integrated, tools are available to secure& ensure a superior product with higher customer satisfaction, which ultimately will be leading to increase business.
Security Challenges
Today, opportunity in hacking business is at peak. ERP in particular is a paramount. ERP systems are the focal point of the businesses that use them. Pirated access can affirm medical records, open the door to larceny at financial institutions and undermine industrial firms.
Hackers have deviated their focus from individuals to enterprises. An increase in number of targeted attacks, including ones against ERP systems is expected. There are a lot of resources on the Internet providing all the required information to attackers to customize their techniques on the ERP’s architectures. We can say that ERP is vulnerable.
It is now time for firms to take ERP security on a serious note. Some of the challenges in ERP security are as follows-
Inadequate Response Planning
The first ERP security threat is lack of planning. Many of the businesses cannot run properly due to lack of planning. Firms do not have effective methods in place to detect ERP vulnerabilities and incursion. The worse scenario is that, many don’t have an adequate incident response plan in place for when there is a suspicious activity.
There is often a paucity in business in a proper incident response that includes the ERP layer. Logging for forensic purposes is not defined properly.
Ransomware Attacks
There is no such system which is immune to the ransomware epidemic. Experts believe that the volume of ransom attacks against ERP systems is going to rise from here onwards.
At present, researchers at ERPs have leaked a proof-of-concept attack against SAP systems. A remote command execution vulnerability allows the autoloading of any program from the server onto the workplace in SAP’s standard client application. The cybercriminal can download malware to the device that can automatically be installed on every endpoint with SAP graphical user interface when a user runs the application.
Insider Threats
One of the most widespread internal attacks is payroll fraud. Malicious workers or former employees who still have access to the ERP system are another top security threat. Even if it is tough to stop, businesses are already concerned about it. Insider threats top the list of security risks.
An employee can change its wage. A direct modification can be easily detected. Many of these breaches by employees instead inflate the number of additional working hours, raising total wages secretly. The fraud therefore is extremely difficult to detect.
Vulnerable Interconnections
ERP systems are commonly interconnected with many other systems. This is a part of the value of ERP. It also poses a security threat because it is a vulnerability in one of the systems which opens the door for access to the others.
The ERP systems can be compromised potentially by a vulnerability in a connected app. And a vulnerability in ERP can spread to other systems. A flaw in ERP may be the first step in a multi-stage attack resulting in physical damage. Interconnections should be taken into account by enterprises. They also need to monitor them closely because there is more room for attack than ever before.
Poor Patch Management
The process of repairing vulnerabilities in an infrastructure of an organization in order to maintain network security is called as patch management. One of the biggest ERP threats today is inactive security patches. ERP systems are not often up-to-date. Many businesses have an inadequate process for monitoring these updates and putting them into place. IT security teams have their own patch management programs. These programs usually exclude ERP systems. According to security perspective, poor patch management can be costly.
Poor ERP Security Delegation
Defining the handling of ERP security is one of the biggest security challenges in the current year. The consequence is that many preventive measures fall through the cracks.
SoD and user management are two terms which are mostly focused by security teams inside ERP-specific departments. IT security teams mainly focus on the OS and networking layer rather than ERP application itself. Today, the key challenge for ERP security is the grey area between those teams. Defining the same, it is critical in closing the gap between them.
The information security teams are not fully aware of the importance of ERP security in a holistic way. This not only includes a lack of awareness about basic security practices but also more modern best practices such as scanning for security vulnerabilities, continuous monitoring, and proper cloud security.
ERP provides with a clear view of opportunities, to serve better to new and existing customers in an ever challenging market. Modern ERP is flexible but one should look forward to the security challenges to increase a business. Therefore, refined attacks are only a small part of the problem when it comes to ERP security. The bigger challenge is organizational. ERP eventually is perching at the root of a business. Today, many of the top ERP security challenges actually come from action not taken by the firms using these systems.
