3 Big ERP Security Concerns
Your ERP system is essential to your business. It’s main purpose is to help you control data and processes integral to your business. With a system this important security concerns are naturally part of the deal and it’s probably safe to assume that anyone reading this post agrees it’s important to take extra care of your ERP system.
Where should you start? In an effort to ease your worries we’ve compiled a list of 3 big ERP security concerns and what you can do to address them. Using your ERP shouldn’t be stressful. The whole point of the system is to make managing your data easier, right?
Common ERP Security Risks You Should Know About
1. Outdated Data. Running old, outdated versions of your ERP software is an open invitation to security nightmares like viruses, hackers, and malware. We know upgrading and updating everything can be a hassle sometimes but one of the primary purposes of updates is patching security holes so you’re not left vulnerable to attacks.
However, if you’re running a cloud-based ERP system your platform vendor will (typically) roll out and install updates for you as they become available. Companies that use cloud-based ERP software don’t have to worry about this security risk nearly as much.
Outdated ERP software can also result in all kinds of ugly data entry errors so it’s a good idea to keep everything updated for both security concerns and the sanity of your employees.
2. Poor Reporting Capabilities. One of the leading reasons companies purchase new ERP systems is due to a lack of functionality that makes it difficult for users to access and analyze data within their own system.
As a result, users have a tendency to turn to other “user-friendly” tools like Excel or Google Spreadsheets and maintain critical information outside of the ERP system. Big problem. It doesn’t take long for management to lose track of all the scattered data and if that isn’t a major security concern it should be.
One of the easiest solutions to this problem is integrating your ERP data with your CRM so everybody has one easy to use database that is regularly backed up and secure. We have an abundance of ERP and CRM integration apps for you to choose from in our integrations catalog.
3. Unrestricted Data Access. Just because your ERP system involves everybody in your business it doesn’t mean that everybody in your business should have access to all of the data stored there.
For example, sales people will want to see inventory and make quotes but they don’t really need to have the ability to change production line data. On the flip side, employees outside of sales don’t need access to all the nitty gritty details about clients.
Not to toot our own horn or anything, but the SYNC app we developed for integrating ERP and CRM systems makes it easy for companies to set restrictions and grant access to the data they do or don’t want certain people to see (and make changes as necessary).
If you’re not using SYNC (insert sad face here), you can construct a set of rules and checkpoints during ERP implementation that limits access for specific employees to only the data they need to see. But if you use SYNC, you can invoke and revoke access to data as you see fit. It’s a lot easier than setting these restrictions up during implementation.
If you have some ERP security concerns and want to take action to minimize the risks that have you reading this blog post, contact a Commercient expert today. We have experience with 45+ ERP systems and would be happy to discuss how SYNC can help.
