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Database Security: Tips for Keeping Your Database Safe From Hackers
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Database Security: Tips for Keeping Your Database Safe From Hackers

Last Updated on March 28, 2022 by Editorial Team

Author(s): Rijul Singh Malik

Originally published on Towards AI the World’s Leading AI and Technology News and Media Company. If you are building an AI-related product or service, we invite you to consider becoming an AI sponsor. At Towards AI, we help scale AI and technology startups. Let us help you unleash your technology to the masses.

Here are some tips to keep your database secure

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

Most of the time you would hear about data breaches and hacking in the news. Most of the time this news would be about large companies (like Yahoo and Equifax) having their data hacked and leaked. But what you don’t hear much about is the small business that has had their data hacked and leaked. If you are reading this right now and you are a small business owner, then you should pay closer attention. Because at some point, you could be the next victim of a data hack and the last thing you want to do is find out about it on the news.

1. What are the most common forms of Database Security Breaches?

Database security is a huge problem and a big worry for many businesses. It’s no secret that hackers know how to get into databases and exploit them, but there are ways to make it harder to hack your database. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to keeping your data safe. The main goal of database security is to protect the data that is stored in your database. There are many ways to do this, but the biggest thing is to make sure that the database is properly secured. If the database can’t be accessed by the outside world, it is safe from hackers. This is usually done by creating a firewall for the database and only allowing access to it through a certain IP address. If a hacker tries to enter through a different IP, the server will deny access. The next step is to make sure that the database has the correct permissions. Not all users should have access to the entire database. Some should only have access to certain fields and tables. This can be done by limiting access to certain functions. Users who don’t need access to the entire database should be limited to their own section of the database, so they don’t have access to all of the information.

Database security is the most important thing that any company can have, and the most commonly used method for security breaches on databases is not using a strong enough password or having a backup that is not properly secured. It is important to note that even if you are using the most complex and secure passwords, it is still possible for hackers to get into your database by using a brute force attack, which is when a hacker attempts to guess your password by using a series of increasingly complex passwords. One of the most common methods for securing your database is to have a strong password and to have a backup of your data that is not easily accessible. It is also important to note that some of the most common forms of database security breaches are through the use of “backdoors” that are left in the system by developers that are no longer a part of the company.

2. Preparing your Database Security Posture

Database security is something that most companies take seriously. It’s not just a matter of protecting the data itself, but also the reputation of the company if a breach occurred. Even a small company with a little bit of data can be viewed as a big company with a lot of data by an attacker if they’re not careful. The goal of this blog post is to provide a few tips for businesses of any size to help them better prepare their database security posture.

If you’ve read the previous article on database security, you know that there’s a lot to consider when it comes to securing your database. The first thing to do is to learn what your options are. As this is a rather lengthy topic, we’ve decided to save it for a future blog post. In this article, we’ll be focusing on the things you can do to prepare for your database security posture. This is an important step, as many businesses overlook this step and then suffer the consequences of a hack. Below, you’ll find the top three things you can do to prepare.

Database security is something that most companies take seriously. It’s not just a matter of protecting the data itself, but also the reputation of the company if a breach occurred. Even a small company with a little bit of data can be viewed as a big company with a lot of data by an attacker if they’re not careful. The goal of this blog post is to provide a few tips for businesses of any size to help them better prepare their database security posture.

3. Implementing Database Encryption

Businesses are always looking for ways to implement new technologies to increase the overall productivity of their company. However, when it comes to the databases they use to store information, they often aren’t as proactive as they could be. For example, companies often forego encrypting their databases and choose to take the risk of storing their information in plain text. This is a huge risk for them, because, obviously, there are plenty of malicious people out there who would love to get their hands on such information. In addition, businesses often make the mistake of forgoing database security altogether and simply hoping for the best. Of course, the best way to prevent data breaches is to encrypt your database.

As the digital world becomes more and more complex and advanced, so does the need for protection for our data. In this age of cybercrime and hacking, we need to be more vigilant than ever about the security of our data. Hacking, in particular, is one of the most serious threats to the infrastructure of businesses and organizations worldwide. In fact, it is estimated that data breaches cost the global economy $400 billion annually. These threats can be devastating, especially when your critical data is the target. This is why it is crucial for businesses to implement a database encryption strategy.

4. The use of Auditing and Monitoring

If you administer a database, you should definitely have some sort of auditing setup. Auditing is a very important aspect of database security. Auditing allows you to keep track of who does what in your database. It also provides a trial in the event of a security breach. With auditing, you will know which users accessed which tables, which rows, and what they did with their privileges. This can help you track down problems quickly before they escalate. There are two main types of auditing: Logical and Physical. Logical auditing is the process of taking normal SQL statements and adding them to the log. You can do this easily by using the audit privilege. Physical auditing is the process of tracking data changes at the server level. Logical auditing is an easy way to start auditing your database. It is a good first step and will help you identify many security problems. However, it is not as secure as physical auditing and your audit trail will eventually run out.

Auditing is a security measure that helps you keep an eye on what is going on with your database. Auditing comes in two flavors: white box auditing and black box auditing. White box auditing involves inspecting the queries that are being run against the database, while black-box auditing involves inspecting the activities of the database server. If a user attempts to access data that they are not authorized to, a database audit trail can be used to go back and find out who caused the data to be accessed.

If you administer a database, you should definitely have some sort of auditing setup. Auditing is a very important aspect of database security. Auditing allows you to keep track of who does what in your database. It also provides a trial in the event of a security breach. With auditing, you will know which users accessed which tables, which rows, and what they did with their privileges. This can help you track down problems quickly before they escalate. There are two main types of auditing: Logical and Physical. Logical auditing is the process of taking normal SQL statements and adding them to the log. You can do this easily by using the audit privilege. Physical auditing is the process of tracking data changes at the server level. Logical auditing is an easy way to start auditing your database. It is a good first step and will help you identify many security problems. However, it is not as secure as physical auditing and your audit trail will eventually run out.

5. Back up your Data and Keep it Safe

Most of the software we use on a day-to-day basis is backed up in case of data loss, but is your database backup up to scratch? The most common backup solutions for databases include file backups, backup to FTP servers, or backup to tape. Each of these has its own limitations and disadvantages. The best way to protect your data is to use database backup software. The software will ensure that your database is always up to date and that you have a copy of it in case of a disaster. A good database backup software will also make sure that your data is stored on an off-site server. It is a good idea to store a backup of your database in a different location from where your database is currently being stored. Most database backup software will allow you to set up different backup schedules for different backup types. You can choose to backup your complete database or only the tables that have been modified since the last backup.

Photo by Alexas_Fotos on Unsplash

Conclusion:

The first step to keeping your databases secure is to have a clear plan in place, followed by setting your procedures in motion.


Database Security: Tips for Keeping Your Database Safe From Hackers was originally published in Towards AI on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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