How Microsoft SQL server ensure Data Security
Data is the most important asset of an organization and is often responsible for weakly secured database security breaches. SQL Server instances need to be protected efficiently in order to secure your data and database.
Many data breaches are less secure because of poorly secured and configured databases. Microsoft SQL Server is a popular database server to cater to enterprise needs. The problem is that it is quite complex to configure and understand.
Microsoft SQL Server ensures a number of data security. For example, it communicates encrypted via SSL/TLS. Moreover, Windows uses Data Protection API (DPAPI) to ensure security. However, it is the job of each database administrator to configure all features, protect their data and applications.
What is the most important job of a database administrator? The most important thing is to provide database security. We know that SQL Server has many powerful features for data protection. But they need to be applied properly which is not possible without actual planning and effort.
So, want to know more about securing SQL Server? In this post, I will discuss the best practices for protecting SQL Server to get proper MS SQL server support which is very necessary to protect your database from various malicious attacks.
Best Practices For Microsoft SQL Server Security
Violation of data from an unsecured SQL Server can result in a huge loss of both money and trust. There may also be fines or penalties for losing customer data. Hopefully, SQL Server has a number of benefits that can keep you safe, such as encrypting data or setting access and authorization limits. So let’s try to practice special security features to secure SQL Server. Hence, how will you ensure Microsoft SQL data security? You can follow the checklist below to ensure proper server security.
1. First, ensure the physical security of the SQL Server
When it comes to security for SQL Server, physical security is a priority. Physical protection basically means restricting any unauthorized access to the components of the data center or physical server. For example, you can apply restricted access to lock a room using a smart card, fingerprint, or facial recognition. The advantage of this is that you can also configure various limited network systems for SQL Server.
The infrastructure of such a data center protects the physical security of such routers, servers, firewalls, and storage devices from any unauthorized access to protect hardware, software, and networks from natural disasters.
2. Keep securing the Operating System
It needs to be protected on the operating system where the SQL Server is installed. If you can’t keep the operating system secure, any potential attacker could take access to the data on the SQL Server. In addition, attackers can take access to your log files. So it is very important to keep the operating system safe.
3. Keep the Network Secure
All the data of any organization is stored and communicated through a network. You have access to several important resources. Such as database servers, storage area networks (SAN), or similar important network components. This is why you need to restrict access to your resources from various unauthorized sources. At the same time, you have to ensure that the network does not flow to any unauthorized destination. It is important to configure the firewall properly to ensure all security. For example, configure a well-organized firewall between the database server and the Internet. Since we are working on the security of SQL Server, Windows Firewall (since SQL Server is powered by Windows) needs to be configured correctly. That’s why Windows’s own firewall-config article will surely help.
4. Need to secure the Application
Database security, however, does not only mean securing instances of SQL Server only, it also means ensuring the protection of other applications involved with SQL Server instances. If so, why? In fact, the data flow is always done between the instance of SQL Server and the application connected to it, and that is why this communication part needs to be secured. Here three entities need protection. E.g., database servers and instances as well as clients and network connections. Then the database server and the application are secured together.
5. Ensure secure backup for SQL Data security
It is essential to control backup access like production databases. Remember that the protection of backup storage will save you in many ways. That could be anything protocol enforcement or limited access. That’s why it’s important to look for tools that can effectively protect your SQL backups. Backups can keep your SQL Server data safe and secure in the cloud. Moreover, it will also make various arrangements for easy recovery. The practice will surely secure the Microsoft SQL data server.
6. Manage login in all areas of the server
For system administrator accounts, also known as root users, it is important to set a strong password here. It is important to remember that you need to schedule regular SQL Server security monitoring on your server, including login auditing. If repeatedly failed login comes to the server, it means someone is trying to access there. In that case, create an option to lock those accounts so that they cannot be accessed in any way. Also, make sure the administrator gets a record of every time you try to log in. Work hard to delete or disable logins later. If login is not used for a long time, it will be deleted automatically or the login will remain invalid until it is re-accessed.
7. Beware of injections or other attacks from the beginning
From the beginning, you need to make sure that your database application is fully capable of preventing SQL injection. Need to confirm the necessary setup. As well as event logs and system scans are required, so make the necessary arrangements.
Conclusion
Lastly, SQL Server is one of the most widely used database platforms. Many large companies use it safely. Since all the important data of the world is stored here, a huge part of hackers keeps an eye on it. So if access is not secured, you can be in danger at times. Although controlling SQL Server is complicated, it is one of the most secure servers if you follow the correct procedure. So hopefully the above topics will help you in every way.
