Secure Your On-Premise TM1 Documentation: 5 Hidden Risks to Fix Now

The Hidden Security Crisis in Your TM1 Environment

Real Security Incident: In 2022, financial services firm, Block (formerly Square), suffered a significant data breach. The breach didn’t come from outside attackers. It came from unsecured internal documentation, where an unauthorized employee downloaded reports containing sensitive customer financial data.  
 
This isn't an isolated incident. In 2023, financial services organizations suffered an average data breach cost of $5.9 million, 27% above the global average across all industries (Trustwave, 2023, Statista, 2024). What is worse, is that: 35% of breaches involved shadow data (unsecured, undocumented files) (IBM, 2024). 

If you’re using IBM Planning Analytics (TM1), your documentation isn’t just internal notes. It’s your financial DNA: Forecasting logic, consolidation structure, allocation rules, and cross-system mappings. 

The risk? Security-conscious enterprises often face an impossible choice: Block documentation (causing operational risk) or allow potentially unsecured documentation (creating security vulnerabilities).
But you don’t have to make that choice.

Secure TM1 Documentation Starts Here
 

If you suspect that you may be at risk of a security data breach, do not fret. 
This guide will equip you with clear, actionable strategies to implement secure, compliant TM1 documentation: 

✔ 5 Common TM1 Documentation Risks (and how to fix them) 
✔ On-Premise vs. Cloud Documentation: Which is Superior 
✔ 5 Security Best Practices (Updated for 2025) 
✔ Security vs. Efficiency: How You Can Have Both 

By implementing these practices, you’ll turn TM1 documentation from a security risk into a security asset, while reducing manual workload. 

The Evolving Security Landscape for IBM Planning Analytics 

3 Factors that Make 2025 a Security Inflection Point 

1. Expanding Regulatory Requirements 

Beyond established frameworks like SOX, GDPR, and CCPA, global regulators now demand proven documentation standards for financial systems: 

• EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA):  
  Mandates comprehensive documentation of critical financial systems, including planning tools (Octopus, 2025). 
• SEC's cybersecurity disclosure rules:  
  Require documentation of access controls and system architecture (Zscaler, 2023).  
• NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5:  
  Adds specific requirements for documentation of financial planning systems used in government and critical infrastructure (Hyperproof, 2025). 

2. Expanding Attack Surface 
   Hybrid TM1 environments, cloud misconfigurations, and AI-powered threats have increased the risk of silent model manipulation (MITRE, 2025; Hoxhunt, 2025; Stack.watch, 2025). 
   
3. Documentation as a Breach Vector 
   Unsecured internal documentation now accounts for 35% of breaches (IBM, 2024).  

Bottom Line: With expanding regulations, hybrid environments and increasingly prevalent AI-driven phishing attacks, secure documentation has become an imperative, not an option. 

Your TM1 documentation must be real-time, access-controlled, and fully auditable. 

Snapshot: Impact of Documentation Security Failures 

Security breaches stemming from improper TM1 documentation manifest in several specific ways: 

The average remediation cost across these risks exceeds $2.3 million per incident.  
And guess what? The $2.3 million does not include costs from reputational damage and regulatory penalties.

5 Common TM1 Documentation Security Risks 

1. Spreadsheet Proliferation 

This is the most common form of TM1 documentation, often containing connection strings, server names, and user roles.
 
Once shared via email or cloud folders, they escape your governance perimeter, creating permanent data exposure. 
 
In one case, a TM1 server configuration spreadsheet leaked to a competitor when an analyst changed jobs. 

Fix: Store documentation metadata securely inside TM1 using secure cubes with only READ access for relevant Administrators. 

2. Screenshot Documentation
 

Screenshots often reveal sensitive data, credentials, or access settings without control or traceability.  
 
One incident exposed an admin’s session credentials and server FQDN captured in a UI screenshot. 

Fix: Replace screenshots with TM1 Web’s URL API to generate sanitized, access-controlled views. 

3. Third-Party Cloud Documentation Tools 

Using generic cloud documentation tools often means business logic leaves your security perimeter. Many operate outside procurement oversight via freemium models, creating shadow IT risks and unsanctioned data repositories your security team can’t see. 

Fix: Use an on-premises documentation tool integrated with TM1’s REST API to keep all metadata within your firewall. 

4. Consultant-Maintained Documentation
 

Relying on consultants to maintain TM1 documentation often means the only copy lives on external laptops or systems.  
 
Updates happen sporadically, only during billable hours. This leads to documentation decay and external exposure of sensitive rule logic and configurations. 

Fix: Centralize all documentation inside your secured IBM Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) environment with role-based consultant access. 

Example PAW Book Structure for Secure Documentation 
- Financial Models Documentation 
  |- Model Overview (Public) 
  |- Dimension Structures (Finance Team) 
  |- Calculation Logic (Power Users) 
  |- Security Configuration (Admins Only) 

5. Lack of Access Controls for Documentation 

Even when documentation lives internally, it’s often stored in shared folders with flat permissions (everyone has the same access) and no audit trail of documentation access. 
 
This violates the principle of least privilege and enables employees lateral access to critical financial system information beyond their operational needs. 

Fix: Use TM1’s SecurityOverlay functions to control access to privileged information. 

Example: How to Grant read-only access to documentation for a limited-access user
SecurityOverlayGlobalLockCell(bLock, Cube, element1,..., elementN) 

On-Premise vs. Cloud TM1 Documentation 

Why On-Premise TM1 Documentation is Superior 

For organizations with stringent security requirements, on-premise documentation offers decisive advantages: 

1. Data Sovereignty
All documentation remains within your security perimeter, subject to your existing security controls and monitoring systems.  

This is particularly critical for organizations in financial services, healthcare, and government sectors where data locality requirements are strict. 

2. Integration with Identity Systems 
On-premise solutions can directly leverage your existing Active Directory or LDAP infrastructure. 

3. Network Controls 
Your existing firewall and network segregation policies apply without exception

4. Audit Trail Integration
On-premise documentation systems can feed directly into your existing SIEM solution 

5. Compliance Alignment
On-premise documentation inherits your existing compliance certifications without requiring separate vendor assessments.

Many organizations mistakenly believe that choosing on-premise means sacrificing functionality. Read the next section where we debunk the top 3 myths. 

Top 3 On-Premise Myths: Debunked 

5 Security Best Practices for TM1 Documentation in 2025

1. Implement Layered Access Controls 

Tier 1: Structure Documentation  
READ for Finance Team
Basic model structure information (cube and dimension names, high-level relationships) can have broader access within finance teams.  

Tier 2: Logic Documentation 
READ for Power Users, NONE for others 
TM1 rules, processes, and calculation logic should be restricted to power users and administrators.  

Tier 3: Security Documentation 
READ for Admins only 
Security settings, control structures, and administrative configurations should have the highest restrictions. 

Implement these access tiers through integration with IBM Planning Analytics Administration module to leverage existing security controls rather than creating parallel security mechanisms. 

2. Comprehensive Audit Trails
 

Security-conscious documentation requires knowing who accessed what information and when.

Implement audit trails with these critical components: 

• Access Logging: Record all documentation access events with timestamp, user identity, and specific content accessed using the TM1 transaction log system. 
• Change History: Maintain automatic versioning of documentation to identify when information was updated by implementing a TI process that archives changes. 
• Export Tracking: Log all documentation exports and downloads with user attribution by implementing TM1 Web API tracking. 
• Integration with SIEM: Forward documentation access events to your SIEM system using standard log forwarding protocols.
  

3. Proper Encryption Standards
 

Documentation security requires both encryption at rest and in transit, integrated with TM1's security framework: 

At Rest Encryption: 

• Use AES-256 encryption for documentation storage, aligned with TM1's own data encryption.
• Implement proper key management procedures with rotation policies.
• Store encryption keys in a hardware security module (HSM) where possible.

In Transit Encryption: 

• Enforce TLS 1.3 for all documentation access through IBM Planning Analytics configuration.
• Implement certificate pinning for internal applications accessing TM1.
• Disable legacy encryption protocols and ciphers in your TM1 configuration. 
  

4. TM1 REST API for Secure Automation
 

The TM1 REST API provides a secure method for automated documentation that ensures documentation is: 

✔ Generated using authorized credentials
✔ Transmitted only over encrypted connections
✔ Never stored outside your security boundary
✔ Always reflects the current state of your TM1 environment
 

5. Data Classification Framework
 

Not all TM1 documentation has the same sensitivity level.
Implement a formal data classification policy for TM1 documentation: 

TM1 Documentation Dilemma: Insecure Practices vs. Inefficient Tools 

Manual Risk vs. Secure Automation 

The fundamental challenge in TM1 documentation has been the perceived trade-off between security and efficiency. Teams often resort to insecure practices because secure alternatives seem too cumbersome.

The solution: Automation that works entirely within your security boundary. 

The Real Trade-Off: Manual Risk vs. Automated Control 

Manual documentation = human error, outdated logic, inconsistent security policies, and unmonitored sharing.  
 
In contrast, Omni connects to TM1 APIs, applies access control, and logs everything without your data ever leaving your firewall. 

Omni Results Snapshot 

✔ 100% of documentation stays within your firewall  
✔ 90% faster audit prep and compliance checks 
✔ 5× faster detection of security risks 
✔ 70% less time spent on version control and traceability 
✔ 63% cut in manual effort securing documentation across cubes 
✔ 60% ROI via fewer breaches and audit penalties 

The choice is clear: Automate complexity analysis.   
Secure TM1 documentation fast. Reclaim 90% of your time and recover lost profit, without rewriting a line of code. 

How to Implement Secure TM1 Documentation in 10 Minutes 

At ITLink, we use a proven 5-step framework (ADEPT) to implement secure TM1 documentation.  

This framework has been validated across 60+ finance transformation projects in the real estate, manufacturing, and government sectors across APAC. 

ADEPT: Proven 5-Step Framework for Secure TM1 Documentation 

1. Assess
   Use our quick self-assessment tool to identify documentation risks  
2. Define
   Specify your security, audit, and compliance requirements 
3. Evaluate
   Shortlist on-premise solutions with REST API, encryption, and SIEM integration 
4. Pilot
   Start with high-risk models like logic, security, and workflow 
5. Transform
   Integrate your selected solution with existing AD, TLS, and backup systems for full adoption. 

Assess: Your Current Risk 

Before improving TM1 documentation security, you need to identify where your current setup may be vulnerable. 

TM1 Documentation Security Self-Assessment 

Tick off any that apply: 
☐  Some documentation lives outside your security perimeter 
☐ No audit trail for who accessed documentation 
☐ Documentation contains sensitive information (Eg. Connection strings, credentials) 
☐ Missing version control for documentation changes 
☐ Documentation access does not reflect your TM1 security model 

If you checked even one box, you’re at elevated risk.
It’s time to tighten controls. 

Define: Your Security Requirements
 

Based on your regulatory environment, use the following structure to clearly define and implement your TM1 documentation security setup:  

1. Requirement: Outcome to be achieved to reduce risk 
2. Control: Specific procedural measure needed 
3. Evidence: Auditable proof that proves effectiveness of control 

Example: Security Requirements Document 

Evaluate: On-Premise Solutions 

Look for these critical capabilities: 

• Direct integration with TM1's REST API 
• Support for your existing authentication infrastructure 
• Automated documentation that eliminates manual security risks 
• Comprehensive audit logging compatible with your SIEM 
• Air-gapped operation capability for high-security environments

Implement: Secure Your TM1 Components In Phases 

Start with securing your most sensitive TM1 components: 

Transform: Integrate Solution with Existing Controls 

Ensure your documentation solution includes: 

1. Existing identity providers (AD/LDAP) 
2. Current encryption standards 
3. Established security monitoring 
4. Approved backup processes

The Bottom Line for TM1 Consultants
 

You don’t need to compromise between security and efficiency. With the right on-premise tools, you can document your TM1 environment in 10 minutes without a single byte leaving your firewall. 

Unsecured TM1 documentation is no longer just an operational oversight, it’s a multi-million-dollar risk.
 
The faster you act, the faster you de-risk.  

Ready to Make Your TM1 Documentation Secure by Default?
 

Omni helps you move from guesswork and gaps to complete, compliant, always-current documentation that is fully under your control.  

Trusted by financial institutions, government agencies, and manufacturers, Omni eliminates documentation risk while giving teams full visibility and control. 

Want to see how?  
Watch this 3-minute demo to see Omni map your entire TM1 model: Cubes, rules, processes, and dimensions, without the manual grind.  

No wasted hours. No margin drain. Just precision.