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SAP LeanIX integrating Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

| Michelle Niedernhuber | Martin Pankraz |

Security Integration

YouTube

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Spotify

Apple

Episode #242

Introduction

In episode 242 of our SAP on Azure video podcast we talk about the integration of SAP LeanIX and Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.

I have to admit that I have not yet worked with SAP LeanIX. LeanIX is an Enterprise Architecture Tools that brings visibility in your landscape. In most companies, this tool is used by Enterprise Architects. What happens now, if you combine LeanIX with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, which helps you to secure and govern SaaS solution? That’s exactly what Martin Pankraz and Michelle Niedernhuber from SAP thought about and brought these two products together. So in todays episode – to quote from their blog post – we will look at the magic that happens when you combine them.

Find more information at:

Find all the links mentioned here: https://www.saponazurepodcast.de/episode242

Reach out to us for any feedback / questions:

#Microsoft #SAP #Azure #SAPonAzure #SAPLeanIX #MDCA #Defender #Security

Summary created by AI

  • Introduction to SAP LeanIX:
  • Holger introduced the episode and welcomed Michelle and Martin to discuss the integration of SAP LeanIX with Microsoft Defender for Cloud. Michelle and Martin provided brief introductions about their roles at SAP.
    • Holger’s Introduction: Holger welcomed the audience to episode 242 of the SAP on Azure Video podcast, mentioning the date and introducing the main topic of the episode, which is the integration of SAP LeanIX with Microsoft Defender for Cloud. He also introduced the guests, Michelle and Martin, and briefly mentioned their roles at SAP.
    • Michelle’s Role: Michelle introduced herself as a product manager at SAP LeanIX, responsible for helping customers enrich their application landscape by integrating SaaS applications and providing a holistic overview of the applications supporting business operations.
    • Martin’s Role: Martin introduced himself as a product manager focusing on Azure core engineering at SAP. He highlighted his role in interfacing with Microsoft product groups to integrate SAP workloads, including Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Sentinel.
  • Overview of SAP LeanIX:
  • Michelle explained that SAP LeanIX is an enterprise architecture tool that helps customers navigate technology transformation by providing transparency and understanding of their application landscape. She emphasized the importance of having a holistic overview of applications supporting business operations.
    • Technology Transformation: Michelle explained that SAP LeanIX helps customers navigate technology transformation by providing transparency and understanding of their application landscape. She emphasized the importance of having a holistic overview of applications supporting business operations to manage complexity, costs, risks, and agility.
    • Transparency Importance: Michelle highlighted the importance of transparency in IT foundations to foster change and transformation. She mentioned that without transparency, it takes a lot of time and slows everything down, which is where LeanIX comes into play by providing a clear view of the application landscape.
    • Enterprise Architecture: Michelle described LeanIX as a leading enterprise architecture solution primarily used by enterprise architects. The tool helps organizations understand their IT components, applications, and solutions, and how they are interconnected to support business operations.
  • LeanIX Features and Benefits:
  • Michelle demonstrated the features of LeanIX, including its inventory system, fact sheets, and relations explorer. She highlighted how LeanIX helps track the lifecycle of applications, understand interconnections, and facilitate collaboration within the organization.
    • Inventory System: Michelle demonstrated the LeanIX inventory system, which organizes all data entering LeanIX into an inventory. This system provides a comprehensive view of the application landscape, including applications, interfaces, and data objects.
    • Fact Sheets: Michelle explained the concept of fact sheets in LeanIX, which summarize all relevant data about an application, including its description, lifecycle, and interconnections within the organization. Fact sheets help track the lifecycle of applications and ensure that organizations are not surprised by end-of-life events.
    • Relations Explorer: Michelle showcased the relations explorer feature, which visualizes how different applications and components are interconnected. This feature helps organizations understand the dependencies and relationships between various IT components and business capabilities.
    • Lifecycle Tracking: Michelle highlighted how LeanIX helps track the lifecycle of applications, including automated updates from vendors and the ability to add custom lifecycles. This ensures that organizations have a clear picture of their IT stack and can plan for future changes.
    • Collaboration Facilitation: Michelle emphasized that LeanIX facilitates collaboration within the organization by providing a shared view of the application landscape. This helps different departments, including IT, engineering, and business, to work together and make informed decisions.
  • Integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud:
  • Michelle and Martin discussed the integration of LeanIX with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, which allows for automated data import and maintenance. This integration helps enterprise architects gain insights into the security landscape and usage data of applications.
    • Integration Overview: Michelle and Martin discussed the integration of LeanIX with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, which enables automated data import and maintenance. This integration helps enterprise architects gain insights into the security landscape and usage data of applications, ensuring that the application inventory is always up-to-date.
    • Data Import: Michelle explained that data can be imported into LeanIX from Microsoft Defender for Cloud through an OAuth flow, ensuring secure data transfer. This integration pulls application data, usage data, and other relevant information into LeanIX.
    • Security Insights: Martin highlighted that the integration provides enterprise architects with insights into the security landscape of their applications. This includes information on sanctioned and unsanctioned apps, usage patterns, and security configurations, which are crucial for making informed decisions.
    • Maintenance Automation: Michelle emphasized that the integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud relieves the maintenance burden by automatically updating the application inventory. This ensures that enterprise architects are always working with accurate and up-to-date information.
  • Discovery Inbox and Data Management:
  • Michelle showcased the Discovery Inbox feature in LeanIX, which provides an overview of applications managed in Entra ID and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. She explained how enterprise architects can assess and manage applications, ensuring data accuracy and relevance.
    • Discovery Inbox: Michelle demonstrated the Discovery Inbox feature in LeanIX, which provides a comprehensive overview of applications managed in Entra ID and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. This feature helps enterprise architects assess and manage applications, ensuring data accuracy and relevance.
    • Application Assessment: Michelle explained that the Discovery Inbox allows enterprise architects to assess applications by providing detailed information, such as usage data, SSO configurations, and security settings. This helps in making informed decisions about which applications to include in the inventory.
    • Data Management: Michelle highlighted the importance of data management in maintaining an accurate application inventory. The Discovery Inbox helps in identifying duplicates, outdated applications, and new entries, ensuring that the inventory reflects the current state of the IT landscape.
    • Integration Benefits: Michelle emphasized that the integration with Entra ID and Microsoft Defender for Cloud ensures that the Discovery Inbox is always up-to-date with the latest application data. This automation reduces manual effort and ensures data accuracy.
  • Collaboration and Automation:
  • Michelle highlighted the collaboration features of LeanIX, such as assigning to-dos and surveys to gather information from stakeholders. She emphasized the importance of automation in maintaining an up-to-date view of the application landscape.
    • Collaboration Features: Michelle highlighted the collaboration features of LeanIX, including the ability to assign to-dos and surveys to gather information from stakeholders. These features facilitate communication and ensure that all relevant information is collected and shared within the organization.
    • Automation Importance: Michelle emphasized the importance of automation in maintaining an up-to-date view of the application landscape. Automated data import and maintenance ensure that the application inventory is always accurate and reflects the current state of the IT environment.
    • Stakeholder Engagement: Michelle explained that LeanIX’s collaboration features help engage stakeholders from different departments, including IT, engineering, and business. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and can contribute to the decision-making process.
    • Survey Assignments: Michelle mentioned that LeanIX allows for the assignment of surveys to gather detailed information from stakeholders. This helps in collecting comprehensive data about applications, their usage, and their relevance to the business.
  • Microsoft Defender for Cloud Overview:
  • Martin provided an overview of Microsoft Defender for Cloud, explaining its role in discovering and managing applications from a security perspective. He emphasized the complementary nature of LeanIX and Microsoft Defender for Cloud in providing a comprehensive view of the application landscape.
    • Security Perspective: Martin provided an overview of Microsoft Defender for Cloud, explaining its role in discovering and managing applications from a security perspective. He highlighted the importance of understanding the security landscape and ensuring that applications are properly secured.
    • Complementary Tools: Martin emphasized the complementary nature of LeanIX and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. While LeanIX provides a comprehensive view of the application landscape, Microsoft Defender for Cloud focuses on the security aspects, ensuring that applications are secure and compliant.
    • Usage Data: Martin explained that Microsoft Defender for Cloud provides valuable usage data, which helps in understanding the importance and relevance of different applications.

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