Power LogOn® Enhances Information Security of SAP® Data – Capabilities Study
SAP is the market leader in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions that include customer relationship management (CRM), product life management (PLM), supply chain management (SCM), supplier relationship management (SRM), and more. SAP applications and services enable over 197,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. With all that valuable and sensitive information, an IT administrator’s other concern is securing it to HSPD-12 compliance levels.
Access Smart believes that for information security to be effective, it must never be cumbersome for the employee to use; otherwise, productivity decreases and eventually, security is compromised. Passwords are still the most cost effective way to authenticate access to computer data. However, employee managed passwords are the weakest link. Access Smart’s Power LogOn is a multifactor, password manager solution for cyber access control that enables Information Technology (IT) administrators to secure and centrally manage all employees’ passwords.
Implement HSPD-12 Government Privacy Compliance Regulations:
Strong, multifactor authentication for logical access has never been more important than now. In many heavily regulated sectors like government, healthcare and finance, the government has legislated privacy protection. By law, businesses, institutions and agencies must protect their customer’s personal information and IT environment from unauthorized access. All these laws recommend two-factor authentication to secure data. Since SAP manages most of this information, care must be taken that employees don’t circumvent security practices for their own convenience by writing password on sticky notes or using the same password everywhere. Employee managed passwords can result in hefty fines for non-compliance of these privacy laws.
Leverage Existing Cyber Infrastructure Investments:
For organizations using SAP, it is important to know that Power LogOn does not impact existing IT infrastructure. Power LogOn does not change Active Directory or SAP configurations. Nor does it require modifications to any existing user accounts. Power LogOn allows IT to centrally manage passwords and provides the end user with a convenient means to adhere to strong password policies.
Fast Cyber Access Control Configuration and Deployment:
Power LogOn Administrator, the server and card management application, is installed within minutes and typically on a dedicated or virtual server. Configuration of program preferences, group policies for cardholders, and predefined card content are all centrally managed before cards are issued and can be updated later in real time onto cards in circulation.
An IT administrator can configure Power LogOn to automatically update the SAP passwords to strong, random strings. Since the passwords are stored by the card, the end user no longer needs to remember, type or even know any of their passwords again. The users only need to present their card, authenticate themselves to the card with a PIN and/or Biometric and double-click a menu item allowing Power LogOn to do the rest.
If a user loses or forgets to bring his card, Power LogOn allows the user to self re-enroll with a new or temporary card. IT administrators can “hot list” the lost card to block its use. Finally, all licenses are transferable to eliminate the need to purchase additional licenses due to employee turnover.
IT Administrators, Decision Makers and Users Recommend Power LogOn:
SAP ERP software consists of many modules and allows for many different user types. Power LogOn makes it easy for an administrator to manage all the user types each with their own specific access privileges. Users are relieved of the burdensome tasks of adhering to complex password policies, managing different passwords, regular password changes and system lock-outs because of forgotten password.
IT administrators appreciate how Power LogOn provides full-featured, two-factor authentication at a price well below other logical access solutions. The savings is attributed to no server infrastructure changes, no installation of proprietary hardware systems and no annoying annual subscription fees. Licenses are reusable and transferable – a feature that most vendors in the marketplace don’t offer – so new licenses only need to be purchased when the organization’s employee base grows.
Cost Saving Benefits of Power LogOn:
An organization’s costs associated to the loss of sensitive data, the loss of intellectual property, government fines and lawsuits can be enormous. Power LogOn reduces an organization’s risk. The productivity lost from employees forgetting their passwords, along with the Help Desk costs to reset forgotten passwords, can also be substantial. Power LogOn has been shown to cut these costs by 40%.
Power LogOn uses non-prorietary components that meet all the different smartcard industry standards. Its true strength is its ability to leverage and build off of existing IT infrastructure and ID badge infrastructure. Full installation takes an IT administrator, on average, two hours. Afterwards, the IT administrator is ready to start issuing cards. Power LogOn makes issuance and maintenance a breeze with its ability to create logon wizards and manage employee password changes invisibly, as well as for employees to self enroll.
About Access Smart:
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Ladera Ranch, California, Access Smart®, LLC is a certified small business dedicated to information security through reliable user authentication prior to network access. Access Smart offers IT professionals who are unfamiliar with smartcard components a one-stop-shop to make logical access solutions fast, easy and inexpensive.
It is difficult to quantify all the benefits Power LogOn offers an organization because every IT infrastructure and operational environment is different. To fully discuss your needs and discover if they are a match for Power LogOn, contact us at (949) 218-8754 for a free, no obligation consultation.
