Module 25: BW/4HANA Security & Compliance (BW/4HANA 2.0)
Security and compliance in BW/4HANA go beyond authorizations.
They ensure data privacy, regulatory adherence, controlled access, and audit readiness across the analytics lifecycle.
This module covers:
- Data privacy concepts
- GDPR considerations
- Data masking
- Secure data access
- Audit readiness
1. Data Privacy Concepts (Foundation)
1.1 What is Data Privacy in BW?
Data privacy ensures:
- Personal data is protected
- Access is limited to authorized users
- Usage aligns with legal requirements
Typical sensitive data:
- Employee data
- Customer PII (Personally Identifiable Information)
- Financial identifiers
Not all data is sensitive, but sensitive data must be protected everywhere.
1.2 Privacy in Analytical Systems
Unlike OLTP:
- BW aggregates and distributes data
- Risks increase with broader visibility
Therefore:
- Strong governance is mandatory
- Authorizations alone may not be sufficient
2. GDPR Considerations (Critical for EU & Global Systems)
2.1 GDPR Basics Relevant to BW
Key GDPR principles affecting BW:
- Data minimization
- Purpose limitation
- Access control
- Right to erasure
- Auditability
BW systems often store historical data, which increases GDPR risk.
2.2 GDPR Implications in BW/4HANA
| GDPR Requirement | BW Impact |
|---|---|
| Data minimization | Avoid over-modeling |
| Access restriction | Analysis authorizations |
| Right to be forgotten | Data deletion / anonymization |
| Audit trail | Logging & monitoring |
2.3 Best Practices for GDPR in BW
Identify personal data early
Limit persistence of sensitive fields
Define retention policies
3. Data Masking (Very Important)
3.1 What is Data Masking?
Data masking hides sensitive values while:
- Preserving analytical usefulness
- Preventing exposure of raw data
Examples:
- Masking employee IDs
- Obscuring customer names
- Partial display of identifiers
3.2 Data Masking Techniques in BW
| Technique | Usage |
|---|---|
| Authorization-based masking | Role-driven |
| Query-level restrictions | RKFs / filters |
| CDS-based masking | DCL rules |
| Derived attributes | Anonymized values |
Mask data at the lowest possible layer.
4. Secure Data Access
4.1 Multi-Layer Security Model
Secure access in BW combines:
- PFCG roles
- Analysis authorizations
- Query authorizations
- Network security
User → Role → Analysis Authorization → Query → Data
4.2 Secure Access Best Practices
Use least-privilege principle
Separate admin vs reporting roles
Regularly review role assignments
Overly broad authorizations
Hardcoded user logic
Bypassing BW security via direct DB access
5. Audit Readiness
5.1 What is Audit Readiness?
Audit readiness means:
- Ability to demonstrate compliance
- Traceability of data access
- Clear governance documentation
5.2 Audit-Relevant Areas in BW
| Area | Auditor Focus |
|---|---|
| Data access | Who sees what |
| Change management | Transports & changes |
| Data lineage | Source to report |
| Logging | Access & execution |
5.3 Tools Supporting Audit Readiness
- Authorization logs
- Process chain logs
- Request monitoring
- Transport logs
Auditors care more about process control than technical details.
6. BW/4HANA vs Classic BW (Security & Compliance)
| Area | Classic BW | BW/4HANA |
|---|---|---|
| Data volume | Lower | Much higher |
| Privacy risk | Medium | High |
| Masking options | Limited | Advanced |
| Audit expectations | Moderate | High |
7. Common Compliance Mistakes
Persisting unnecessary personal data
No data retention policy
Weak authorization design
No audit documentation
8. Interview-Grade Questions
Q1. How does BW support GDPR compliance?
Answer: Through analysis authorizations, controlled persistence, data masking, retention policies, and audit logging.
Q2. Why is data masking important in BW?
Answer: Because BW data is widely consumed for analytics, masking prevents exposure of sensitive information while preserving reporting usefulness.
9. Summary
- Data privacy is critical in BW
- GDPR impacts modeling and retention
- Masking protects sensitive data
- Secure access requires layered security
- Audit readiness ensures compliance
10. What's Next?
➡️ Module 26: Testing, Validation & Quality Assurance (BW/4HANA)
Security gaps in analytics lead to business-level risks, not just IT issues.