ClamSAP – SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Integrates Virus Protection for SAP

Daily press reports show that increased networking and digitalization of the business world are subjecting companies’ IT systems to ever more serious security risks. Cybercrime study undertaken by PwC comes to the conclusion that the number of global security incidents has risen by 25% over the previous year.*

Most of the companies surveyed suspect that hackers are behind such incidents. This is followed by attacks carried out by direct competitors and members of organized crime outfits.
Security incidents are particularly serious if they affect highly sensitive and business-critical data relating to SAP applications. Malfunctions or failures of SAP processes can result in substantial sales losses and significant damage to a company’s image.

Virus Scan Interface from SAP

To counteract the threat from external files and active content, such as digital customer orders, application documents, and knowledge management documents, SAP has included a virus scan interface (VSI) in its SAP NetWeaver® application platform. SAP NW-VSI enables users to seamlessly integrate the antivirus and content security products of external vendors into their own SAP system environments. Documents and files imported into SAP applications get automatically scanned for viruses, worms, and Trojans.

Cross-platform protection

With its ClamSAP virus protection program, SUSE has merged two libraries into one solution package that combines the ClamAV open-source virus scanner with SAP NW-VSI 1.0. ClamAV checks e-mails on UNIX-based e-mail gateways for malware and has long since been a key component of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server  – more precisely, since Release 10. ClamSAP, on the other hand, is now available with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11, and has been since Service Pack 2 (SP2).

ClamSAP offers SAP customers the following benefits:

• Protection against cross-platform threats
• Antivirus scans of incoming documents and files
• No additional license fees necessary
• Automatic updates through the freshclam program.

It can also be used by SAP Mobile Platform®, the central management and development platform for all mobile applications. This is especially useful since more and more employees are accessing their SAP systems from mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones. Effective virus protection is becoming increasingly important in this area in particular.

* PricewaterhouseCoopers: “Defending yesterday – Key findings from The Global State of Information Security® Survey 2014”, September 2013
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/consulting-services/information-security-survey/assets/pwc-financal-services.pdf