Database is often the primary storehouse of all information in your company. These data are critical to the daily functioning of your firm. Some of your information are highly confidential and must be protected against unauthorized access by cyber snoopers. For this reason, database often becomes the primary target for hackers and administrators should work constantly to prevent attackers from making an attack. Database security must be audited and any user activity should be monitored closely. Some hackers may seek to tamper the database for their own gains, especially if it’s the database of a financial organization. It’s possible to get financial benefits by making changes on the database. In this case, servers must be secured and all connections are properly monitored Restrictions should be enforced, so access will be allowed only for real users. There are different methods that can be used to protect database. As an example, a user should be allowed only three attempts to log into the website.
After multiple failed attempts, the person’s account needs to be suspended and he/she needs to contact the administrator to re-activate the account. This will prevent automated login attempts with special software, that attempt to log into the system with multiple passwords. Access control can be one of the toughest and hardest security factors for database. You need a combination of efforts from developers and administrators to properly secure. So make sure that you actually give access to the right individuals. When you have a proper system, it should be relatively easy to monitor any activity. When suspicious activities are discovered, make sure that you can immediately revoke the access, so security of your database can always assured.
Another security factor is the connection to the database. Each connection should be thoroughly examined to make sure that it’s safe and genuine. There should be a regularly updated list who has the permission to update the data or just read them. Just because someone has been given privilege, it doesn’t mean that he will behave appropriately. When privilege is misused, then it’s possible that vital information tampered. Administrators should watch these people constantly and make sure that they won’t cross any security restriction. When data are mishandled, business operations can be poorly affected.
Another way to safeguard the database is by improving the security of the server. There should be a program to restrict access to the databased based on specific authority level. This will significantly lower the probability that someone will access vital data in your database. Not only that users should have proper username and passwords, they should also come from specific IP address. It means that even if an outsider manages to get valid username and password, they can’t gain access, because he uses the wrong IP address. Another good way to have proper firewall configuration, so any incoming access can be controlled. Username and password should only become the basic protection. For dedicated hackers, they only represent an ordinary obstacle. Layers of security are needed to fully secure the database. So, if one layer is breached, administrators will have time to patch the hole and repulse the attack.