Database security
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Database Security is the system, processes, and procedures that protect a database from unintended activity. Unintended activity can be categorized as authorized misuse, malicious attacks or inadvertent mistakes made by authorized individuals or processes. Database Security is also a speciality within the broader discipline of Computer Security.
Traditionally databases have been protected from external connections by firewalls or routers on the network perimeter with the database environment existing on the internal network opposed to being located within a Demilitarized zone (computing). Additional network security devices that detect and alert on malicious database protocol traffic include network Intrusion detection systems along with host-based intrusion detection systems.
Database security is more critical as networks have become more open.
Databases provide many layers and types of security including:
Database Security can begin with the process of creation and publishing of appropriate security standards for the database environment. The standards may include specific controls for the various relevant database platforms; a set of best practices that cross over the platforms; and linkages of the standards to higher level polices and governmental regulations.
An important procedure when evaluating database security is performing vulnerability assessments against the database. A vulnerability assessment attempts to find Vulnerability (computing) holes that could be used to break into the database. Database administrators or Information security administrators run vulnerability scans on databases to discover misconfiguration of controls within the layers mentioned above along with known vulnerabilities within the database software. The results of the scans should be used to harden the database in order to mitigate the threat of compromise by intruders.
A program of continual monitoring for compliance with database security standards is another important task for mission critical database environments. Two crucial aspects of database security compliance include Patch (computing) management and the review and management of permissions (especially public) granted to objects within the database. Database objects may include Table (database) or other objects listed in the Table link. The permissions granted for SQL language commands on objects are considered in this process. One should note that compliance monitoring is similar to vulnerability assessment with the key difference that the results of vulnerability assessments generally drive the security standards that lead to the continuous monitoring program. Essentially, vulnerability assessment is a preliminary procedure to determine risk where a compliance program is the process of on-going risk assessment.
The compliance program should take into consideration any dependencies at the Application software level as changes at the database level may have effects on the Application software or the Application Server. In direct relation to this topic is that of Application security.
Application level Authentication and Authorization mechanisms should be considered as an effective means of providing abstraction from the database layer. The primary benefit of abstraction is that of a Single sign-on capability across multiple databases and database platforms. A Single sign-on system should store the database user's credentials (login id and password), and authenticate to the database on behalf of the user.
Another security layer of a more sophisticated nature includes the real-time monitoring of database protocol traffic (SQL) over the network. Analysis can be performed on the traffic for known exploits or network traffic baselines can be captured overtime to build a normal pattern used for detection of anomalous activity that could be indicative of intrusion. These systems may provide a comprehensive audit trail in addition to the intrusion detection (and possibly protection) mechanisms. When a network level audit system is not feasible a Database audit program should be instituted.
A Database Security program should include the regular review of permissions granted to individually owned accounts and accounts used by automated processes. The accounts used by automated processes should have appropriate controls around password storage such as sufficient encryption and access controls to reduce the risk of compromise. For individual accounts, a Two-factor authentication system should be considered in a database environment where the risk is commensurate with the expenditure for such an authentication system.
In conjunction with a sound Database Security program, an appropriate Disaster recovery program should exist to ensure that service is not interrupted during a security incident or any other incident that results in an outage of the primary database environment. An example is that of Replication (computer science) for the primary databases to sites located in different geographical regions.
External links
A comprehensive list of free and commercial database security products: http://www.petefinnigan.com/tools.htm
