paricon Solutions
GDPR-compliant SAP
Test Data
Anonymization in
Test Systems
Whether a full system copy or a selective client extraction, Smart Data Protection lets you provision fully usable, GDPR-compliant, and secure SAP test systems at any time. All personal data is anonymized end-to-end at the push of a button, without compromising the functional usability of your test environment. No specialist system knowledge is required: intelligent search algorithms automatically detect sensitive data in all tables, text fields, and attachments. Implementation requires minimal effort and is completed within a few weeks.
Companies That Already Trust Smart Data Protection
The Challenge
Protection Requirements in SAP
SAP test and development systems are typically built from production data copies – indispensable for realistic testing, but sensitive from a data protection standpoint. These test systems contain extensive customer and employee data, usually with broad access granted to development and quality assurance teams. Without additional safeguards, the risk of misuse and liability is substantial.
Transparency is also often lacking: in complex SAP environments, it is nearly impossible to track manually where sensitive information is stored – particularly in free-text fields or documents. Classic, purely rule-based deletion approaches fall short here. At the same time, the usability of test systems must not be compromised; even after anonymization, all business processes must continue to function.
Liability & Data Protection Risk
Liability & Data Protection Risk
Unanonymized test systems carry a high risk of misuse and liability. Production copies in the test system contain real personal data, from customer addresses to salary information. Every tester, developer, or external service provider potentially has access to this data.
Smart Data Protection anonymizes or pseudonymizes sensitive fields automatically before the system is released for testing, preserving business consistency without exposing real personal data. This markedly reduces the risk of GDPR fines and reputational damage from real data exposed in test systems.
Lack of Transparency
Without automated scanning, organizations often lack visibility into where sensitive information resides in their SAP system.
Lack of Transparency for Sensitive Data
Without automated scanning, organizations often lack visibility into where sensitive information resides in their SAP system. Personal data hides in free-text fields, IDOCs, customer-specific tables, and attachments – well beyond the standard GDPR fields.
SDP automatically scans your entire SAP system landscape and creates a central data map of sensitive information. This gives you continuous clarity on where action is needed – without manual inventory and with far fewer blind spots in your data protection compliance process.
Limited Testability
Limited Testability
Rigid data retention policies can destroy data relationships, but the business consistency of the test system must not suffer. When records are simply deleted, referential integrity and process flows break down, and test scenarios no longer deliver reliable results.
Smart Data Protection replaces simple deletion with targeted anonymization: sensitive fields are masked while the data structure remains fully intact. Test systems stay functionally correct and realistic, anonymised in line with GDPR requirements and with reproducible test results.
0 hrs
Time to Create GDPR Profile
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Anonymizations Performed
0 days
Average Setup Time
The Solution
Smart Data Protection – SAP Test Data Anonymization
What is Smart Data Protection?
Smart Data Protection is a fully ABAP-based add-on for the selective anonymization of SAP test and development systems copied from production. The solution can anonymize complete systems, individual clients, or specific data sets, always consistently and in line with GDPR requirements.
Innovative search functions automatically locate sensitive personal and organizational data; customer and employee information is anonymized at the push of a button across the entire system, without any loss of test environment functionality. Smart Data Protection operates independently of system type and also covers customer-specific tables and add-ons.
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GDPR-Compliant Anonymization of SAP Test Systems
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Full or Selective Anonymization Without Loss of Functional Usability
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System-agnostic, incl. customer-specific tables & add-ons
How Does Smart Data Protection Work?
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smartscan Finds Sensitive Data in Tables, Text Fields & Attachments
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Configurable Black/Whitelists Filter Out Irrelevant Matches
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Anonymization replaces data with consistent dummy values
- smartscan – automatically searches all tables, attachments, and documents for sensitive content and generates a GDPR profile of all data found.
- Context-Based Filters – configurable black-/whitelists and intelligent algorithms exclude irrelevant matches and prioritize results.
- Anonymization Run – in the second step, all identified data is replaced by consistent, plausible dummy values; primary keys and IDs remain unchanged.
- Central Hub – a central cockpit enables the control and monitoring of all anonymization runs across multiple systems; profiles already created can be reused for repeated runs.
Why Smart Data Protection?
- Ready to use quickly – minimal implementation effort; first results within a few weeks.
- Proven scalability – anonymizes even very large SAP test systems in a reasonable timeframe (PoC validated with DZ BANK).
- Maximum flexibility – works independently of modules, data models, and extensions; no impact on test functionality.
- No restrictions – the anonymized system remains fully usable.
Case Study: DZ BANK
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~70 TB ERP Production Copy
GDPR-compliant anonymization – "out of the box"
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smartscan instead of rule maintenance:
detects sensitive data in Z-tables, free-text and long-text fields, and attachments/documents
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No Client-Side Resources & No Specialist System Knowledge Required:
rapidly integrable into existing provisioning processes
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Smart Data Protection.
How long does the Smart Data Protection implementation take?
Smart Data Protection is installed as an SAP add-on, with no additional hardware required. Initial anonymization runs are typically possible within 72 hours.
Does my SAP Clean Core remain untouched?
Does Smart Data Protection Replace or Complement SAP ILM?
Do Processes and Test Systems Remain Functionally Usable?
Which SAP platforms are supported?
How thoroughly are anonymization runs documented for audit purposes?
Still have questions?
Our experts are happy to help in person!
RELATED CONSULTING
The following consulting services support the use of this solution:
“We are happy to show you how to create GDPR-compliant production system copies for your test activities in a short time.”
– Alexander Bösl, Smart Data Protection Expert
Book a no-obligation conversation now: we will demonstrate Smart Data Protection to you free of charge.
