It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep your data secure. Here are a couple things you can implement in your databases to ensure better security.
Due to the ever increasing security incidents within companies these days, and the potential for more to come, there are some procedures that, if implemented, will increase the overall security of the company’s databases.
These procedures include adding more stringent rules for passwords on all computers and databases and adding profiles, privileges and roles to the company databases. Implementing these procedures may take some manpower in the beginning, but will add significantly to the security and integrity of our company’s most precious resource, its information.
As far as passwords go, each database security should have it’s own unique password. Some companies have a couple databases that are all using the same password. Although this may be easier for people to remember, it is not at all secure as some people that are using one database should probably not have access to others. Another feature that should be added to the rules for passwords is that all passwords, whether on the databases or on user’s workstations, should be at least 8 characters long, include at least one capital letter, one number and one special character.
If you give all users access to all databases and all parts of the databases like database then your data is not really secure. You need to find the fine line between allowing access so your employees have the access that they need to do their jobs and making sure that they don’t have access to information that they don’t, or shouldn’t, have access to.
Profiles, privileges and roles are specific to databases and are needed to ensure that all users that have access to any company database can only access the information that they need to access to do their job. These database functions are different ways to accomplish database security by allowing access to people, or groups of people, based on what they need the database for. By using profiles, privileges and roles you ensure the confidentiality of the data in each database.
To implement these new policies and procedures one should assign various individuals from different departments, to include management and IT resources, to come together as a team. This team will make decisions on who needs access to which databases and which parts of the database they need to view, edit or update. They will then write up the new policies and create a training procedure for ensuring that users of the databases understand the new procedures and rules.
By implementing these new policies and procedures your company will put a stop to database security incidents and prevent future issues that may have arisen and create a more secure company.
