How a global powertrain manufacturer strengthened security, compliance, and shared responsibility for SAP RISE using the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP from Layer Seven Security.
The customer is a global manufacturer of internal combustion and hybrid powertrain technologies supporting automotive OEMs worldwide. The organization operates complex, highly integrated business processes across finance, procurement, manufacturing, and supply chain using SAP S/4HANA and SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) deployed under SAP RISE. Given the scale of operations, intellectual property sensitivity, and regulatory exposure across multiple regions, the organization requires strong, continuously enforced security controls to protect business-critical SAP systems while meeting contractual and compliance obligations in a cloud ERP model.
Following its transition to SAP RISE, the organization needed to operationalize the shared responsibility model for security. While SAP assumed responsibility for infrastructure, network, and platform-level controls, accountability for application security, access controls, configuration hardening, custom code security, and ongoing compliance remained with the customer. The security team faced limited visibility into real-world SAP attack paths, configuration drift against mandatory SAP RISE security requirements, and evolving threats across both SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP. Manual audits and point-in-time assessments were insufficient to demonstrate continuous compliance or provide defensible assurance during audits and security reviews.
The organization engaged Layer Seven Security to deploy the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP as a unified security and compliance platform for its SAP RISE landscape. The objectives were to secure SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP against advanced cyber threats, continuously monitor compliance with mandatory SAP RISE security and hardening requirements, and meet customer responsibilities under the shared security model. The organization also sought to reduce reliance on fragmented tools and manual processes while gaining risk-based visibility aligned to business impact.
Layer Seven Security implemented the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP to provide continuous security assurance across the customer’s SAP RISE environment. The solution delivered automated vulnerability management, configuration and compliance monitoring, access risk analysis, custom code security, and threat detection for SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP. Security controls were benchmarked against SAP-mandated RISE requirements and industry frameworks, enabling the organization to detect compliance gaps as they emerged. Real-time visibility into SAP-specific threats allowed the security team to identify misconfigurations, excessive privileges, and exploitable weaknesses before they could be abused. By consolidating security and compliance capabilities into a single SAP-certified platform, the organization strengthened protection while simplifying operations.
The deployment of the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP significantly improved the organization’s SAP RISE security posture. Continuous monitoring uncovered critical configuration and access risks that would not have been detected through periodic reviews. Compliance gaps with mandatory SAP RISE security requirements were identified and remediated, reducing audit exposure and contractual risk. Threat detection capabilities enhanced the organization’s ability to detect and respond to suspicious activity across SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP. The security team gained clear insights into SAP cyber risks, enabling faster remediation and sustained alignment with SAP’s evolving security requirements.
By operationalizing security as a continuous process rather than a one-time assessment, the organization reduced the risk of data breaches, intellectual property loss, and service disruption. Compliance with SAP RISE mandatory security requirements improved audit readiness and strengthened the organization’s ability to demonstrate due diligence. The unified approach lowered operational overhead by replacing multiple tools and manual controls with automated, SAP-native security monitoring. Executive stakeholders gained increased confidence in the resilience of the SAP RISE environment, supporting secure innovation and long-term cloud transformation.
This case study demonstrates how a global powertrain manufacturer used the Cybersecurity Extension for SAP from Layer Seven Security to secure SAP RISE solutions, including SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP. By aligning security operations with the shared responsibility model and continuously enforcing mandatory SAP RISE security requirements, the organization achieved stronger protection, improved compliance, and sustainable risk management across its SAP cloud landscape.