Subject: SAP-Cloud-Security
As organizations transition critical business processes to cloud environments, ensuring the right users have appropriate access to SAP cloud systems becomes paramount for security and compliance. User access reviews are a foundational control in identity governance frameworks, helping prevent excessive permissions, mitigate insider risks, and support audit requirements. In the context of SAP cloud solutions, implementing an effective User Access Review process demands a strategic approach that leverages SAP’s native tools and integrates with broader governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) initiatives.
This article explores best practices and step-by-step guidance for implementing user access reviews in SAP Cloud environments, focusing on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), and SAP SuccessFactors.
User access reviews — periodic checks where managers or security teams validate and certify user permissions — serve several critical purposes:
Cloud environments, with their rapid user lifecycle changes and complex hybrid landscapes, require automated, scalable review mechanisms to remain effective.
Start by defining the scope of the review:
Establish policies that specify:
For organizations using SAP Access Control (GRC), the Access Review (User Access Review - UAR) module is the cornerstone:
If your environment is purely cloud-based or leverages SAP BTP, SAP Identity Access Governance (IAG) offers cloud-native access review capabilities integrated with SAP Cloud Identity Services.
When provisioning and access are managed through SAP Cloud Identity Services, access reviews can be integrated as follows:
This ensures that cloud identity data is synchronized and consistently reviewed.
Automation enhances the efficiency and timeliness of reviews:
SAP GRC and IAG platforms provide built-in workflow engines to support these processes.
Once reviewers complete the access certification:
Continuous improvement cycles can be established by reviewing metrics on review completion rates, access changes, and detected violations.
Continuous monitoring post-review is crucial:
Regular reviews combined with continuous monitoring create a robust identity governance framework in SAP cloud environments.
Implementing SAP Cloud User Access Reviews is an essential practice to maintain security and compliance in modern SAP cloud deployments. By carefully defining scope, leveraging SAP Access Control or Identity Access Governance, automating workflows, and integrating with cloud identity services, organizations can efficiently validate user permissions, reduce risk, and satisfy audit requirements.
SAP security professionals should consider user access reviews not as a one-time event but as part of an ongoing identity governance lifecycle, supported by automation and continuous improvement, to keep pace with dynamic cloud environments and evolving business needs.