Securing SAP RISE with ISO/IEC 27001:2022

Strategic Guidance for CIOs and CISOs

By Eckhart Mehler for CISOsCISO — a perspective on cybersecurity leadership, governance and the decisions that determine whether organizations retain control.

Amid SAP S/4HANA transformations, many organizations are moving from on-premise systems to SAP RISE – a powerful but complex “Business Transformation as a Service” model. While it offers standardization and scalability, it also raises key challenges for CISOs and CIOs:

• How do we embed SAP RISE into an existing ISO/IEC 27001:2022 ISMS?
• What controls are lost or gained under shared responsibility?
• Can we stay GDPR-compliant when SAP dictates data location and processing?
• How do we maintain strategic control and visibility in a globally distributed landscape?

Following the success of my "Fortifying Your SAP S/4 HANA" and “Securing SAP S/4HANA on Azure” series, I’m launching a new deep-dive for security leaders managing SAP RISE in regulated, international environments.

Each post is technically sound, compliance-aware, and designed for InfoSec leadership – offering practical tools, frameworks, and clarity in a world where SAP runs the platform, but you remain accountable for security, compliance, and resilience.

Let’s make SAP RISE secure – not just available:

1. RISE Strategy & Leadership

• Why SAP RISE is not just a tech project – but a strategic InfoSec initiative
• Vendor Lock-in in SAP RISE: Risks, Realities, and Strategies
• Why SAP RISE isn’t a “set and forget” model – and how CISOs can shape its success
• Why CISOs must have a seat at the SAP RISE Steering Table
• The evolving role of the CISO in SAP transformation projects
• Executive communication in SAP RISE: How CISOs build trust through security leadership

2. ISMS & ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Integration

• ISMS meets RISE: How to integrate SAP RISE into ISO/IEC 27001:2022
• Shared Responsibility in SAP RISE: Who’s accountable – SAP or us?
• How to make SAP RISE auditable: Requirements from ISO 27001, GDPR and internal controls
• The SAP RISE Security Fitness Check: 10 questions every CISO must answer before go-live
• What if SAP RISE isn’t fully ISO/IEC 27001 auditable?
• Audit readiness with SAP RISE: What auditors expect from your controls

3. Data Protection & GDPR Compliance

• International data protection in SAP RISE: GDPR, data transfer, and transparency
• Compliance by Design in SAP RISE projects
• Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for SAP RISE: A practical guide
• SAP RISE in China, Brazil & Co – Local law vs. global platform
• SAP access to personal data: How to enforce transparency and control

4. Cloud Security & Shared Responsibility

• SAP RISE Integration Governance: Controlling your APIs and data flows
• SAP RISE, Zero Trust & Cloud Security – A good match?
• Cloud security responsibilities in SAP RISE – What’s SAP’s job, what’s ours?
• Data Classification in SAP RISE: How to protect sensitive information
• How SAP RISE reshapes security culture
• Third Party Risk Management in SAP RISE: Do we still control our supply chain?
• Security Monitoring in SAP RISE – What’s possible and what isn’t?

5. Interoperability & Integration Governance

• SAP RISE with legacy systems: How to secure data migration and Shadow-IT
• The hidden interface risks of SAP RISE
• Secure partner access to SAP RISE systems

6. Vendor Lock-in & Exit Strategies

• Exit strategies for SAP RISE – What if we want out?
• Business Continuity in SAP RISE: Who’s in charge during a crisis?

7. Future Topics & Innovation

• SAP RISE, AI and critical data – How to protect business logic in the cloud

Publication Note & Disclaimer
This article was originally published on LinkedIn on April 14, 2025 and may have been edited or updated for publication on this site.

It reflects my personal professional perspective and does not represent the official policy or position of my employer. Drafting and editorial refinement may have been supported by commercially available AI-assisted tools. The analysis, conclusions and final curation are entirely my own.

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