In any SAP landscape, security is only as strong as the ability to monitor, audit, and log access-related activities. In the context of SAP ABAP and broader system security, auditing authorization-related events plays a critical role in preventing unauthorized access, detecting internal misuse, and ensuring compliance with legal and industry regulations (such as GDPR, SOX, and ISO 27001).
This article explores best practices and tools for auditing and logging authorization-related events in SAP ABAP, and discusses the risks of neglecting this aspect—what could be considered “crimes” in terms of SAP security governance.
Every critical action in SAP—whether it’s accessing financial records, modifying user roles, or exporting sensitive data—should be traceable and accountable. Without proper auditing:
Here are some of the most critical events that should be logged:
The Security Audit Log (SAL) is SAP’s core tool for tracking security-relevant events.
Setup example:
🔒 Best Practice: Never log sensitive data values (e.g., passwords), only access actions and results.
While not a logger itself, SUIM helps report on authorization assignments and usage, including:
For custom programs or modules, you can explicitly log authorization checks or data access:
IF NOT AUTHORITY-CHECK OBJECT 'Z_CUSTOM_AUTH' ...
" Log failure
WRITE: / 'Unauthorized access attempt detected'.
CALL FUNCTION 'BAL_LOG_MSG_ADD'
EXPORTING
i_msgid = 'ZSEC'
i_msgty = 'E'
i_msgno = '001'
i_msgv1 = sy-uname.
ENDIF.
Some developers skip AUTHORITY-CHECK to avoid user complaints. This is a major security breach that allows unauthorized access.
When multiple users share credentials (e.g., a generic user with SAP_ALL), actions are no longer attributable to individuals.
Temporarily turning off audit logs to “clean up” logs or avoid detection is a deliberate act of system manipulation—tantamount to digital sabotage.
If critical changes to user roles go unlogged (e.g., granting production access), it becomes impossible to detect privilege escalation or trace its source.
✅ Always Enable Security Audit Log: Especially for systems handling sensitive or financial data.
✅ Use Granular Filters: Focus on high-impact users (e.g., BASIS, auditors, finance) and transactions.
✅ Log Custom Authorization Checks: Add logging in custom ABAP programs to track sensitive logic access.
✅ Correlate with System Logs: Combine STAD, SAL, and OS logs for a full audit trail.
✅ Review Logs Regularly: Automate log review with alerts for unusual patterns (e.g., failed logons, access outside business hours).
✅ Maintain Log Integrity: Store logs securely with restricted write access. Encrypt and archive logs for long-term retention.
Auditing and logging authorization-related events in SAP ABAP is a cornerstone of enterprise security. Ignoring this responsibility isn’t just a misconfiguration—it’s a risk to your system's integrity and a compliance liability. Whether it's preventing data theft, ensuring regulatory compliance, or detecting internal misuse, robust audit mechanisms are your first and last line of defense.
In the SAP security world, “what you don’t log can hurt you.” Always log what matters—and review it regularly.