Company A is in the process of merging with Company B. As part of the merger, connectivity between the ERP systems must be established so pertinent financial information can be shared between the…

Setting up an FTP server is generally not secure for sensitive financial data unless secured (e.g., SFTP/FTPS), and managing it for automated ERP transfers is less integrated and robust than a VPN connection.

Setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) between Company A and Company B creates a secure, encrypted tunnel over a public network, allowing their ERP systems to communicate as if on a private network. Granting access only to the ERPs within this VPN provides a controlled and automated secure channel for data transfers, crucial for inter-company financial data sharing.

Setting up a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is for establishing trust and encryption, which is a component of secure communication, not a direct solution for establishing automated network connectivity between entire ERP systems.

Creating static NATs on firewalls to map to ERP systems would expose them directly to external networks, which is less secure than a VPN, and relies solely on native ERP security for data transfer.