With cybersecurity incidents happening everywhere, we get why customers we meet often ask us about just how secure is Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and how does it protect their business data. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security in their National Cyber Threat Assessment 2023-2024 noted that ransomware, critical infrastructure, and state-sponsored cyber threat activities are some of the trends that will continue to drive cyber threat activity to 2024.
Before we address this frequently asked question, it is worth noting that while Dynamics 365 Business Central is secure on its own, your organization must also have clear security policies and procedures such as good password hygiene and have an anti-virus or anti-malware software in place. You also need to ensure that only specific users in your organization have access to modify your database.
Going back to Business Central's security...
Microsoft continually updates Business Central throughout the year, with major updates released every 6 months. It is protected by Microsoft's application security which intends to improve Business Central's security no matter where it's being hosted.
Dynamics 365 Business Central protects your business data and keeps your processes safe with the following key security capabilities:
Role-based security: Business Central offers role-based security, which means that users are only able to access the features and data that they need to perform their job functions. Administrators can assign specific roles to users, each with its own set of permissions, to ensure that users only have access to what they need.
Data encryption: Business Central uses data encryption to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, using industry-standard encryption algorithms.
Multi-factor authentication: Business Central supports multi-factor authentication, which requires users to provide two or more forms of authentication to access the system. This adds an extra layer of security to help prevent unauthorized access.
Audit trails: Business Central maintains an audit trail of all user activity within the system, including login attempts, data modifications, and other events. This helps administrators to track user activity and detect potential security breaches.
IP filtering: Business Central supports IP filtering, which allows administrators to restrict access to the system based on IP addresses. This can help prevent unauthorized access from outside the organization.
Password policies: Business Central supports password policies, which allow administrators to set minimum password length, complexity requirements, and expiration periods. This helps to ensure that users are using strong, secure passwords to access the system.
Secure connections: Business Central supports secure connections using HTTPS and SSL/TLS protocols. This helps to ensure that data is transmitted securely between the user's device and the Business Central server.
Compliance: Business Central is compliant with various regulations and standards, including GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 1 and SOC 2. This ensures that the system meets industry standards for security and compliance.
Overall, Dynamics 365 Business Central offers a robust set of security features to help keep your business data and processes safe. By taking advantage of these security capabilities, you can help ensure that your business is protected against potential threats and unauthorized access.
If you'd like more information or helpful tips to ensure the security of your ERP environment, comment below or contact us here.