When we talk about SAP security, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) tools tend to come to the fore first. Although they have become a mandatory component of security strategy, they often remain little more than window dressing. Compliance is not the same as security - and a single gap can cost millions and damage a reputation. In the latest instalment of our “Safe Tuesday with SNOK” series, we look at how the integration of the SecurityBridge platform together with solid support from SNOK sets a new standard for SAP protection.
GRC vs real-world operations - where does the trap lie?
Traditional GRC systems carry out their task quarterly or annually - gathering data, checking SoD-related institutions, roles and profiles. But cyber threats do not follow a schedule. As SNOK’s CEO, Jacek Bugajski, aptly puts it:
Checklist-based compliance does not protect you - an audit analyses the past, but an attack can happen tomorrow. That is why continuous monitoring is essential - it represents an entirely different level of cyber resilience.
GRC provides formal assurance, but lacks real-time mechanisms. It will not, for example, detect an attempted brute-force password attack at two in the morning, or an attack on a custom ABAP module. As the head of SAP Basis consulting and cybersecurity at SNOK, Jarosław Kamil Zdanowski, points out:
“GRC monitors roles and profiles, but it doesn’t see custom code, it doesn’t see interfaces, it doesn’t see anomalies in RFC transactions. That’s a huge operational gap.”
SecurityBridge: SAP-native, proactive, built for reality
The SecurityBridge platform, deployed by SNOK, was built on the conviction that the SAP world needs a native solution - embedded within ABAP, HANA and BTP. It covers the full SAP environment: NetWeaver ABAP, Java, HANA, BTP. Its architecture integrates without installing separate agents, additional hardware or bandwidth - everything runs within SAP itself, without increasing the attack surface.
Real-time event monitoring analyses raw ABAP, Java and BTP logs as they occur, filtering and correlating them against thousands of predefined incident scenarios specific to SAP. This means false alerts are discarded - only genuine threats remain. Only this kind of approach can deliver operational security.
From compliance to dynamic security: the key pillars
1. 24/7 threat detection
The platform operates around the clock, every day of the year. It verifies suspicious user behaviour, unusual configuration changes and anomalies in custom code. As industry reports note, this tool successfully replaces retrospective risk assessments and enables genuine, real-time response to attacks. This approach protects against potential incidents before they take effect.
2. Code Vulnerability Analysis: security from the source
SecurityBridge does not merely examine logs - it scans custom code at deployment time, detecting SQL injection, authorisation bypasses, mass data operations and unauthorised functions. It is very often within custom code that the most critical gaps appear. As Jarosław Zdanowski puts it:
“SecurityBridge reaches where GRC doesn’t look - into the heart of custom code” - which sounds like the definition of a new level of protection.
3. Automated patch management and virtual patching
Cooperation with SAP’s Patch Day (the second Tuesday of the month) proceeds through continuous validation of safeguards and alerts from SecurityBridge based on the most up-to-date advisories. This allows clients to reduce response times and minimise their window of exposure. The solution also automates so-called virtual patching - mechanisms that monitor exploitation attempts against known vulnerabilities until the actual patch is applied.
4. SIEM and ITSM at the centre of operations
SecurityBridge integrates with enterprise SIEMs: Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk, Elastic, QRadar and many others. SAP events reach the SOC properly configured. The system can also automatically create tickets in ITSM systems (e.g. ServiceNow, Jira), triggering a response workflow. This significantly speeds up incident closure, as it no longer gets “lost” within SAP. This represents a genuine shortening of the response path and a reduction in losses.
5. Consolidating data in a single dashboard
The new SecurityBridge SAP Management Dashboard provides a coherent view: from a code vulnerability, through patching status, to real-time incidents and alerts - based on live data, eliminating outdated reports. For decision-makers and CIOs, it is a precise instrument for decision-making, and for audit purposes, a transparent risk map.
SNOK: strategic partner and implementation guide
SNOK does not merely sell tools. SNOK designs, implements and supports clients at every stage - from risk analysis, through workshops, to ongoing SOC/SIEM maintenance.
During workshops, SNOK works with the client to assess the key areas of exposure: custom code, RFC, critical transactions. SecurityBridge is then implemented within ABAP, linked to the DevOps pipeline - code moving to production passes through security analysis.
SNOK delivers personalised dashboards and defines KPIs (response time, number of incidents, patching status) - providing clients with not just tools, but measurable value.
The SNOK client perspective: what changes?
In large organisations, such as those in manufacturing or finance, after implementing SNOK and SecurityBridge, incidents are often neutralised within minutes, not weeks. The tool catches anomalies before they escalate. Patch reporting, code analysis and operational response all happen automatically, reducing the risk of human error and downtime.
A success story from Stock Spirits Group: A successful attack on SAP systems can bring any business to a halt (https://itwiz.pl/udany-atak-na-systemy-sap-moze-zatrzymac-kazdy-biznes/)
Summary: a revolution in SAP security
GRC and audits remain necessary - they ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. But in today’s world, where threats emerge instantly, something more is needed: an intelligent, real-time security platform that not only identifies threats, but also supports their neutralisation and compliance in the background.
SecurityBridge, deployed by SNOK, delivers on this: it scans code, monitors activity, integrates with SOC/SIEM/ITSM, automates compliance and patching, and presents KPIs in real time.
As SNOK’s CEO emphasises:
“This is not point-in-time compliance - it’s operational resilience, always.”
and Jarosław Zdanowski adds:
“SecurityBridge together with SNOK offer something more than a tool - they are a continuous partner in protecting the SAP environment.”
If you would like to see the real results, with KPIs and response times and ROI, please join us for a demo or workshop. It combines operational knowledge with security strategy in a single session.