Recently, a vast migration to the cloud has been occurring for on-premise ERP systems moving to cloud-based SaaS, AWS, or Azure-based ERP environments.

Many CFOs and CIOs are pushing to accelerate their organizations to a more secure, accessible platform for their accounting enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. And with the rapid increase in remote work, this has become even more of a priority for the modern workplace.

According to a recent Forbes article and Deloitte study, more than one-third of executives polled said their organizations’ accounting and financial data was targeted by cyberattacks, and nearly half of those executives expect the number and size of those attacks to increase within the next year.

As more cyber attacks continue to happen in the United States and worldwide, IT professionals are focusing on securing their data – no matter the size of the organizations. Hackers are not just targeting larger organizations, but also small and medium (SMB) organizations where data is critical, and systems are often outdated and easy to access. For example, outdated Windows, Microsoft Office, and SQL server versions remain an easy target for those wishing to attack and take advantage of smaller organizations.

The major security reasons identified for moving ERP to the cloud by most C-level executives we interviewed are:

1. Enhanced Security for Your Data: The cloud provides enhanced security for sensitive data through advanced encryption, robust authentication mechanisms, and state-of-the-art firewall systems. Cloud providers invest heavily in top-tier security measures, including intrusion detection and prevention systems, ensuring your data remains protected both in transit and at rest. Additionally, the cloud’s centralized security management allows for rapid response to emerging threats, safeguarding your information against evolving risks.
2. Regular Updates and Patches: Cloud-based ERPs benefit from seamless, automatic updates and patches, minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities and ensuring that your system is always up to date with the latest security enhancements. Cloud providers regularly monitor their infrastructure for potential security gaps and promptly apply patches to mitigate any identified risks. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of breaches stemming from outdated software components and strengthens the overall security posture of your ERP environment.
3. Access Controls: Cloud-based ERP solutions offer robust access control mechanisms, enabling you to define and enforce granular user permissions and roles. This ensures that only authorized personnel can access specific data and functionalities, reducing the potential for unauthorized actions and data breaches. With features like multi-factor authentication and identity management, cloud ERPs provide a multi-layered defense against unauthorized access attempts.
4. Disaster Recovery: The cloud offers enhanced disaster recovery capabilities for your ERP system. Cloud providers deploy geographically redundant data centers and automated backup solutions, ensuring your data is protected against data loss due to hardware failures, natural disasters, or other unexpected events. This redundancy and data replication facilitates rapid recovery, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity in the face of unforeseen disruptions.
5. Reduced Attack Surface: Cloud ERP systesm can reduce your organization’s attack surface by shifting the responsibility of infrastructure management to the cloud provider. Cloud environments are designed with security best practices in mind, limiting potential vulnerabilities arising from misconfigurations or insecure infrastructure. By leveraging the cloud provider’s expertise in securing the underlying infrastructure, your organization can focus on securing the application layer and critical business data, lowering the risk of successful cyberattacks.

Incorporating these security benefits into your cloud-based ERP migration strategy can significantly enhance the overall protection of your organization’s data and operations while also allowing you to capitalize on the agility and scalability of cloud technology.

Accelerynt is highly experienced in helping organizations of all sizes develop and optimize their cloud-ERP security programs. Our team of professional security experts offers clients real-time security monitoring through Azure Sentinel and our own IP around security analytics, helping clients to identify any unusual security access and events within minutes and provide a swift resolution.

Contact us for more information or a scoping call and demo.