Tips for Managing Dynamics 365 Security and Compliance

Budget and resource limitations make it more important for small and medium-sized organizations to find tools capable of performing multiple functions when managing security and tracking compliance. Dynamics 365 Business Central helps businesses protect data from breaches while addressing compliance concerns. 

Using Business Central to Address Security Concerns

In addition to security and compliance, organizations must stay vigilant about privacy issues. Laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) impose significant penalties on companies that don’t follow the stringent data privacy requirements outlined. 

There’s also the ongoing threat of bad actors constantly seeking to launch cyber-attacks against vulnerable targets. API weaknesses and other system vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches. Hackers have increasingly gone after smaller organizations, believing they lack the robust protections enjoyed by bigger companies. 

Advanced Security Features

Dynamics 365 Business Central has security protections to safeguard sensitive data and prevent unauthorized users from gaining access.

Role-Based Access Control

Business Central uses role-based access to manage user permissions. That way, users can only access information related to their job roles. This reinforces company security policies and keeps organizations compliant while making administration more manageable.

Some of the key components of RBAC include:

• Permission Sets: Organizations can establish permission collections that define what users can do within Business Central. For example, you can give certain individuals read-only access while giving others separate permissions to create, modify, and delete records based on their job function.
• User Groups: User groups categorize users with similar job responsibilities. This allows them to handle multiple individuals simultaneously and ensures consistent permission application. 
• Roles: Roles are collections of permission sets mapped to specific job functions, such as customer service representative, accounting manager, or warehouse worker. 

Data Encryption

Encryption in Business Central uses cryptographic algorithms to convert readable text into an unreadable format. The information can only be deciphered by those with authorized decryption keys. Using encryption ensures that only users with authorization gain access to sensitive information. It also stops bad actors from trying to modify data. 

Information is encrypted at rest using Microsoft cloud security protocols, which keeps it safe if physical storage is compromised. Business Central also encrypts data transferred between users, Business Central services, and external applications. The platform uses Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.2/1.3) to encrypt communication between clients and Business Central.

In addition, Business Central uses HTTPS to secure data exchanges during API requests and other web service calls. The platform also uses secure channels for data replication or synchronization processes, which protects integrations with other applications like Power BI.

Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA requires users to provide at least two forms of verification to gain access to Business Central. Authentication factors typically fall under:

• A piece of known information
• Something a user has, like a mobile device or security key
• Something that is part of a user, like a fingerprint or facial recognition

Business Central users Azure Active Directory to enforce authentication policies. First, users must provide a valid ID and password. From there, they must verify their identity using a second factor, like receiving and providing a one-time code via SMS or email. 

Regular Security Updates

Because Business Central receives security updates automatically from Microsoft, IT Teams have reduced Dynamics 365 security and compliance management overhead. The security patches fix security flaws that a hacker could potentially exploit. These updates also help with Dynamics 365 GDPR compliance and other regulatory standards like ISO 27001 and SOC 2. 

Compliance Management in Business Central

Business Central includes Dynamics 365 compliance features to help organizations deal with regulations and security laws, including:

• Data Governance: Organizations can use Business Central to define and enforce governance policies for collecting, storing, and processing data as defined in various regulations.
• Audit Trail: Business Central tracks all data-related activities and provides a comprehensive audit trail. Organizations can use them to demonstrate compliance when audited or during an investigation.
• Data Subject Rights: Your business can easily fulfil data subject rights requests, including accessing, correcting, and removing personal data. This is critical for complying with GDPR and other regulations.
• Regulatory Reporting: Business Central allows users to generate regulatory reports to demonstrate compliance. You can use predefined templates or set up a custom report.

Best Practices for Addressing Security and Compliance Concerns in Business Central

You can maximize the security and compliance benefits Business Central provides by following these best practices. 

Use Role-Based Access Control

Setting up role-based access is worth the effort. Not only does it make the process of granting permissions more seamless, but it can also minimize the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches by ensuring only users with established permissions gain access to protected information. 

Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication

Enforcing MFA adds an additional layer of security that lowers the risk of compromised accounts. It helps keep hackers from accessing a user’s account with only stolen credentials. 

Perform Regular Security Audits

Conducting security audits periodically helps ensure that Business Central is configured to protect the information it holds, including customer records, financial data, and inventory details. These checks can help locate issues like weak security configurations and areas where unauthorized users can gain access. Your organization can also identify compliance gaps that conflict with security and privacy regulations.

Enforce Data Governance Policies

Having a structured data governance policy keeps Business Central from getting cluttered with outdated, inconsistent, or duplicate data. Poor data quality can lead to inaccurate reporting, inventory management errors, and poor customer service. Data governance policies enforce data entry standards regarding data formats. They also make it easier to locate and remove duplicate data and update information to ensure accuracy. 

Protect Information With IES

The right software tools make keeping up with evolving data standards and regulations easier. Internet eBusiness Solutions assists organizations in configuring software securely. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can keep your information secure.