When a user starts a transaction, the system performs the following checks:

• The system checks in table TSTC whether the transaction code is valid and whether the system administrator has locked the transaction.
• The system then checks whether the user has authorization to start the transaction. The SAP system performs the authorization checks every time a user starts a transaction from the menu or by entering a command. Indirectly called transactions are not included in this authorization check. For more complex transactions, which call other transactions, there are additional authorization checks.
  • The authorization object S_TCODE (transaction start) contains the field TCD (transaction code). The user must have an authorization with a value for the selected transaction code.
  • If an additional authorization is entered using transaction SE93 for the transaction to be started, the user also requires the suitable defined authorization object (TSTA, table TSTCA).
    If you create a transaction in transaction SE93, you can assign an additional authorization to this transaction. This is useful, if you want to be able to protect a transaction with a separate authorization. If this is not the case, you should consider using other methods to protect the transaction (such as AUTHORITY-CHECK at program level).
• The system checks whether the transaction code is assigned an authorization object. If so, a check is made that the user has authorization for this authorization object.
  The check is not performed in the following cases:
  • You have deactivated the check of the authorization objects for the transaction (with transaction SU24) using check indicators, that is, you have removed an authorization object entered using transaction SE93. You cannot deactivate the check for objects from the SAP NetWeaver and HR areas.
  • This can be useful, as a large number of authorization objects are often checked when transactions are executed, since the transaction calls other work areas in the background. In order for these checks to be executed successfully, the user in question must have the appropriate authorizations. This results in some users having more authorization than they strictly need. It also leads to an increased maintenance workload. You can therefore deactivate authorization checks of this type in a targeted manner using transaction SU24.
  • You have globally deactivated authorization objects for all transactions with transaction SU24 or transaction SU25.
  • So that the entries that you have made with transactions SU24 and SU25 become effective, you must set the profile parameter AUTH/NO_CHECK_IN_SOME_CASES to “Y” (using transaction RZ10).

All of the above checks must be successful so that the user can start the transaction. Otherwise, the transaction is not called and the system displays an appropriate message.

Checking Assignment of Authorization Groups to Tables
You can also assign authorization groups to tables to avoid users accessing tables using general access tools (such as transaction SE16). A user requires not only authorization to execute the tool, but must also have authorization to be permitted to access tables with the relevant group assignments. For this case, we deliver tables with predefined assignments to authorization groups. The assignments are defined in table TDDAT; the checked authorization object is S_TABU_DIS.

Auditing Information System (AIS)

SAP Audit Information System (AIS) serves as a centralized repository for reports, queries, and views of interest to auditors. It is designed to address the overall system configuration as well as SAP business processes and their related control features, providing audit and security practitioners with the critical information they need to conduct effective reviews of their SAP systems. SAP administrators can use AIS for security auditing. The AIS plays a supportive role in providing security services for SAP systems. The primary function of AIS is auditing but auditing features can derive the measures that help in developing the security policy for SAP systems.

A successful security set up of a SAP system concludes with proper management and administration of user IDs, password resetting, audit trails, audit logs, access control list, and personnel responsibilities.

Security administration in SAP includes maintenance of the overall SAP security environment using the SAP Profile Generator, creating user-level activity groups and creating user master records.

The concept of SAP security is flexible as well as complex. SAP has a multi-layered integrated framework. To ensure adequate protection, security measures must be factored into all layers of the SAP infrastructure. With client/server architecture, SAP systems include many components that exchange information, each of which constitutes a layer of the SAP security infrastructure. Security is often not a priority in an implementation and as a result, the default security is not strong. SAP security functionality could be enhanced using various measures as discussed above.

Enterprises must develop a security strategy to ensure a secure and functional SAP system. A business critical application like SAP needs continuous monitoring and improvement of its security features.