Data Obfuscation in SAP HANA

In today's data-driven business environment, protecting sensitive information has become critical. Organizations using SAP HANA, SAP's high-performance in-memory database platform, handle vast amounts of confidential data. According to recent cybersecurity statistics from IBM, the average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million in 2024.

Data obfuscation in SAP HANA refers to masking or transforming sensitive data to protect it from unauthorized access while maintaining its utility. As organizations face regulatory pressure from GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, implementing effective data masking strategies has become essential for database security.

This article explores SAP HANA's native data obfuscation capabilities as documented in the SAP HANA Security Guide and demonstrates how DataSunrise enhances data protection with Zero-Touch Data Masking and intelligent policy orchestration.

Native SAP HANA Data Obfuscation Capabilities

SAP HANA includes several built-in features for data obfuscation. These native capabilities provide a foundation for securing data through access controls and database encryption.

1. SAP HANA Dynamic Data Masking

SAP HANA offers dynamic data masking at the view level:

-- Create a view with masked sensitive columns
CREATE VIEW CUSTOMER_MASKED_VIEW AS
SELECT 
    CUSTOMER_ID,
    CUSTOMER_NAME,
    MASK(EMAIL, 'email') AS EMAIL,
    MASK(CREDIT_CARD, 'credit_card') AS CREDIT_CARD,
    ADDRESS
FROM CUSTOMER_TABLE;

2. Column-Level Encryption

SAP HANA supports column-level encryption for protecting data at rest:

-- Enable encryption for sensitive columns
ALTER TABLE CUSTOMER_DATA 
    ALTER (
        SSN VARCHAR(11) ENCRYPTED,
        CREDIT_CARD VARCHAR(19) ENCRYPTED
    );

3. Testing Data Obfuscation

To verify your obfuscation setup, execute test queries:

-- Create masked view for non-production access
CREATE VIEW CUSTOMER_TEST_MASKED AS
SELECT 
    ID,
    FULL_NAME,
    SUBSTRING(EMAIL, 1, 3) || '***@' || SUBSTRING_AFTER(EMAIL, '@') AS EMAIL,
    'XXX-XXX-' || SUBSTRING(PHONE, 9, 4) AS PHONE,
    'XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-' || SUBSTRING(CREDIT_CARD, 16, 4) AS CREDIT_CARD,
    BALANCE
FROM CUSTOMER_TEST;

For more information, refer to the SAP HANA Security Guide.

Limitations of Native SAP HANA Data Obfuscation

While SAP HANA's native capabilities provide essential protection, they have several limitations for comprehensive data security:

• Dynamic Data Masking: Limited to view-based implementation, requiring extensive development effort for comprehensive coverage
• Column Encryption: Performance overhead that may impact query performance in high-transaction environments
• Masking Rules: Manual configuration and maintenance that becomes time-consuming when data structures change
• Cross-System Consistency: No unified policy management, leading to inconsistent protection across systems
• Automated Discovery: Manual identification required through data discovery, meaning critical data may remain unprotected

Enhanced Data Obfuscation for SAP HANA with DataSunrise

DataSunrise significantly enhances data protection through sophisticated automation designed for enterprise environments. Unlike basic masking approaches, DataSunrise delivers Surgical Precision Masking with comprehensive data security capabilities.

Implementing DataSunrise for SAP HANA Data Obfuscation

1. Connect to SAP HANA Instance

Establish a secure connection between DataSunrise and your SAP HANA environment using flexible deployment modes.

2. Automatic Sensitive Data Discovery

DataSunrise's Auto-Discover & Classify engine automatically identifies PII, financial data, healthcare records, and custom data patterns through advanced classification algorithms.

3. Create Masking Rules

Configure masking policies through No-Code Policy Automation with context-aware protection and format-preserving techniques.

4. Monitor and Report

Track sensitive data access and generate compliance reports through the comprehensive dashboard with real-time notifications.

Key Advantages of DataSunrise for SAP HANA

Conclusion

As SAP HANA continues as the backbone for enterprise data management, implementing robust data obfuscation has become essential for compliance regulations. While SAP HANA offers native capabilities, organizations with complex requirements benefit from enhanced solutions like DataSunrise.

DataSunrise provides comprehensive data obfuscation with Zero-Touch Data Masking, Surgical Precision Masking, and Continuous Compliance Alignment. With flexible deployment modes supporting on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments, DataSunrise ensures consistent protection across your entire SAP landscape while maintaining role-based access controls.