SAP® operations with BSI-certified security: professionalising IT security or accelerating digitalisation

Public administration in Germany is coming under increasing attack from cybercrime. Cyberattacks, particularly ransomware attacks, have risen sharply in recent years and pose a significant threat. In 2022, for example, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) recorded over 130,000 cases of cybercrime, with the damage caused by such attacks rising to over €200 billion.
Cybercrime not only causes financial damage but can also severely impair the functioning of public services. In affected local authorities, for example, it was often impossible to pay out social security benefits or collect tax payments. This underlines the urgency of prioritising and continuously improving IT security in public administration.

Public sector organisations are currently facing a growing shortage of skilled staff, particularly in IT. Many public authorities do not have enough qualified staff to meet the ever-increasing demands of IT security. The secure operation of complex SAP® systems requires specialist knowledge that is increasingly lacking in the public sector. 
At the same time, the complexity of SAP® infrastructures in the public sector is on the rise. The integration of new technologies is placing greater demands on staff expertise. These developments pose major challenges for IT departments, as they must not only operate existing systems but also ensure the continuous professional development of their staff. There is a lack of staff capacity – and consequently a lack of time – to develop digitalisation strategies and design digital processes, which would be necessary to future-proof the administration.

• T-Systems BSI-certified Telekom SAP® platform offers a comprehensive and secure solution for the operation of SAP® systems in the public sector.
• This platform has been specifically developed to meet the high security requirements of the public sector. Its ISO 27001 certification, based on the IT-Grundschutz framework and awarded by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), confirms that the platform meets the highest security standards and thus ensures the protection of sensitive data.
• Data is stored exclusively within Germany: the data is stored and processed in the highly secure TwinCore data centres in Magdeburg and Biere. It is therefore subject to German jurisdiction, which provides additional legal certainty.
• The platform also stands out for its flexibility and scalability. Public authorities can adjust the number of SAP® systems and the scope of services as required. This enables the efficient use of resources and ensures that the IT infrastructure grows in line with requirements. The dedicated hardware and staff recruited exclusively from within the EU further contribute to the platform’s security and reliability.
• With the platform’s BSI certification to ISO 27001 based on IT-Grundschutz, T-Systems’ platform for SAP® solutions officially demonstrates its security and thus meets a key requirement for public sector customers. Work on the certification took almost two years. This involved answering 42 BSI modules comprising around 3,000 questions! Do public sector customers need to invest this time and money, or would it make more sense to let the service provider take on these tasks? 

As a Platinum-status SAP® partner and Germany’s largest SAP® service provider, T-Systems – part of Deutsche Telekom AG – is a proven SAP® expert in the public sector. Tailored to customer requirements, the company offers technical solutions ranging from hosting and operations, through the various aspects of application management, to complete cloud solutions, all from a single source.

T-Systems has a long history of providing SAP® operations for the public sector, with more than 20 years’ experience working with high-profile clients who have retained their autonomy through a variety of operational approaches.