Database security threats are numerous and persistent. So today, no matter the size of your business, your sensitive information is valuable, and you must keep it safe. Failing to do so opens your organization’s database to more security risks, threatening the integrity of your business and its processes.
Luckily, there are several data security and privacy measures companies can take to keep data safe. Dive into these safety practices below and explore how you can enhance your business’s database security to avoid data loss.
1. Encrypt your database
For database servers, encryption converts sensitive data into an unreadable format, where the only way to view this information is to unlock it with an authorized key. Encryption can be applied to data that is moving (in transit) and data that is not moving (at rest). Encrypting your database is a critical step in securing your data. By doing so, you can protect your customer’s and employees’ personal information and ensure that data cannot be used by threat actors if it is stolen.
2. Manage privileges
Privileges refer to the level of access granted to users in a database. Each user should be granted the right amount of access they need to view information, perform tasks, and move through the database. Not only can this help maintain data security and privacy standards, but it can also make it easier for you to track the entities interacting with your database.
Actively managing your employees’ access privileges is a simple way to keep your business’s data safe. This can involve the use of privileged access management (PAM) solutions—data security tools that allow you to view all access permissions and revoke them when the situation calls for it. By focusing on access control via privilege management, you can reduce the risk of users accidentally or intentionally compromising confidential information.
3. Leverage authentication measures
Authentication is a security measure that requires verification of a user’s identity as they attempt to access the company database. Without proper authentication, there is a higher chance that threat actors will successfully bypass your established security measures and enter your servers (most likely with compromised credentials).
Typically, authentication solutions take the form of the following security measures:
- Complex passwords (changed routinely)
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Zero-trust access control
By leveraging authentication measures, you can prevent unauthorized access to the database and its information, while ensuring that all entities within your network readily comply with data security and privacy requirements.
4. Database monitoring
Database monitoring will help you keep track of any activity and traffic that exists within your database. It is an innovative solution to keep data safe as it provides you with insight into the devices and users that are entering your database. For example, with monitoring solutions, you will be able to see what data is being accessed, when it was accessed, and what it was used for.
At the same time, you should also catalog users’ actions within the database to make it easier for you to touch base with someone if needed. By monitoring your database in real time, you and your team can identify and respond to suspicious activity before any damage is inflicted, resulting in higher standards of data privacy and data security.
5. Vulnerability assessments
A cybersecurity practice and risk mitigation strategy, vulnerability assessments (like penetration testing) provide businesses with opportunities to examine their IT solutions and databases to uncover any prospective weaknesses. Assessments are worthwhile initiatives that can help you patch up any holes in your cybersecurity posture before threat actors can locate and exploit them.
While vulnerability examinations should be carried out before a database is officially launched, they should also be conducted on a routine basis. That way, you will be able to uphold the data security and privacy standards that you (and your industry) set up for your business.
Keep data safe and away from cybercriminals with database security specialists
Comprehensive data security and privacy begins with a full-scale database security ecosystem that combines threat prevention, mitigation, and response. By implementing effective security solutions into your network, you can enhance your business’s database security and reduce the risk of data breaches.
Data security is a business necessity with no ifs, ands, or buts in the equation. And to help you, the database security experts at Everconnect can assess and upgrade your information’s digital and physical security measures with industry-leading solutions.
With the Everconnect team taking care of your security controls and monitoring your database, you will feel confident knowing that your business’s database will be able to avoid any cyber threat.
