Database Security Within Your Organization

At the forefront of technology security within a given company typically is ensuring that proper firewalls, intrusion detection systems and antivirus software are in place and running with all the necessary patches required to keep your assets protected while successfully running your business. But what about the sensitive information that resides in the hundreds maybe even thousands of tables that could potentially exist within the various lines of business that support your customer base? Protection of critical artifacts that reside within your organization’s databases is something that should be taken seriously. Threats interrelated to databases are sprouting up each day creating requirements for business executives and information technology professionals to come up with serious security methods, policy, and utilities that can protect databases from potential attacks.

Speaking with first-hand knowledge as someone who currently administers an enterprise database security solution for multiple agencies within the State of New York I can attest to the fact that utilizing applications such as IBM Security Guardium can potentially set your organization back hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the number of databases your organization is looking to protect. Although closed source solutions such as the previously mentioned Guardium Application do provide the needed security of your data they can also require staffing professionals with the technical knowledge needed to patch and maintain the software which as threats develop within the databases it is protecting will certainly require updates of the data collectors that are monitoring your organizations critical artifacts in order to stay secure, thus ensuring the appropriate protection of your data.

As technology evolves more and more companies are turning to open source solutions as ways to cut costs and maintain the profit margins needed to operate a successful business. There are numerous tools depending on the type of databases your organization has implemented that can be used to safely secure critical assets and which are highly endorsed by many cybersecurity professionals and ethical hackers working to stay ahead of criminal activity that is constantly evolving and discovering different ways to penetrate and steal the private data of your customers and even your organizations employees.

Tools such as SQLRECON and BSQL Hacker can provide the functionality of conducting active and passive scans of your network to identify SQL Server instances and identify vulnerabilities that can potentially create harm for your organization. The more commonly known NMAP is another open source utility used for network discovery and the auditing of your data. In short, Nmap utilizes raw IP packets in innovative ways to identify what hosts are available on the network including services that they are offering. Additionally, this tool can provide operating system versions, firewalls and many other traits required to potential discover malicious activity taking place. What about when your database is not configured properly and adhering to the security standards needed to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability which is required to successfully run a successful business? One such tool, AppDetectivePro can scan large amounts of your data and identify critical configuration errors and access control issues such as missing patches which can potentially lead to denial-of-service attacks, data leaks or unlawful alteration of your data. Similar to AppDetectivePro, Scuba is another vulnerability scanner which can be used to search and identify thousands of common problems such as weak passwords, known configuration risks, and missing patches on numerous database platforms potentially existing within your organization.

When it comes to open source solutions for database protection the list goes on. Many additional tools such as OScanner, DBDefence, and even Oracle Auditing Tools can be used to manage logs by collecting and monitoring traffic hitting various sources within your organization. In order to identify an ideal solution that works for your organization, it is best to consult with an IT Security Professional who can work with you to identify a solution that can best provide you with something that meets the needs of your business by adequately protecting its critical data and components which are used to provide service to your clients.