What would a security administrator say is the organization’s most valuable resource?

You’ll most likely hear “database” as an answer.

Why? Because it contains sensitive and important information about a company, including financial information and sensitive information about clients, partners, or staff.

Who can access this information? The database administrators (with full access) come first, then selected people (with restricted access).

But what if one or more of these users misuses their access for improper purposes or if their account is compromised?

According to research, the ten greatest data breaches in the first half of 2020 exposed more than 3.2 million records. A large portion of these records was compromised by database Breaches.

What is at stake?

A database houses an organization’s most important and private data. The perimeter security and fundamental security measures included with the database are insufficient against today’s skilled hackers or rogue insiders.

The typical cybercriminal is indolent and will scrape up any accessible data by using internet programs that run automatically while scanning for unprotected databases. More than just putting in a firewall or installing antivirus software is required to manage such a danger. The databases and apps also operate in intricate contexts with a wide range of dependencies. While we want to secure our information, we also need to be sure that doing so won’t obstruct routine company operations and reduce productivity.

DAM (Database Activity Monitoring) is the solution

Database Activity Monitoring is described by Techopedia as the procedure of observing, recognising, and reporting a database’s actions. DAM technologies employ real-time security technology to independently track and examine specified actions without depending on DBMS audits or logs. The program, in a nutshell, keeps track of and audits what users do with their access or how and by whom data is accessed, including the administrator.

Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) is “a package of technologies that supports the capacity to recognize and report on fraudulent, unlawful, or other undesired conduct, with little impact on user operations and productivity,” according to Gartner.

In addition to strong data-centric security measures like data discovery and categorization, user rights management, privileged user monitoring, data protection and loss prevention, etc., these tools have progressed from simple user activity analysis to encompass more advanced user activity analysis.

The Securosis white paper “Understanding and Selecting a Database Activity Monitoring System” states that a database activity monitoring solution must be able to do the following things, at the very least:

• All database activity, including administrator activity and select query transactions, should be monitored, and audited independently.
• Store the audit logs safely on a central server that is separate from the database being audited.
• Track, tally, and compare activities across several heterogeneous Database Management Systems (DBMSs).
• Make sure a service account can only execute a limited number of approved queries and can only access a database from a specified source IP.
• By keeping an eye on and documenting database administrator operations, enforce the separation of tasks.
• Create warnings for policy infractions based on rules or heuristics. You might, for instance, design a rule that sends out an alert any time a user with elevated privileges runs a select query that produces more than five results from a credit card field. The trigger warns you that there’s a chance the application has been attacked, either via SQL injection or another method.

Why DAM?

We have witnessed significant developments in the risks we face online as well as the regulatory compliance environment over the last few years. Our data is currently the target of both the bad guys and the regulators. While several tools can keep an eye on varying levels of database activity, DAM technologies stand out because they can send out warnings when a policy is broken. DAM technologies include real-time monitoring, rule-based alerts, and activity recording in addition to activity logging, all of which have a significant positive impact on security and compliance.

The fact that the data captured about database usage is stored outside the database that is being monitored so that the DBAs who are being watched cannot change the data is one of the important components of the DAM tool. The capability to provide real-time warnings, which aids in handling the policy violation as soon as it is discovered, is another crucial component.

Imperva is one of the leaders in Database Security. Imperva’s solution for databases provides a database monitoring and audit solution that satisfies a broad range of compliance requirements – while also providing real-time data protection – with little or no impact on database performance.

Benefits of DAM:

• Maintain a database of activities. This is particularly crucial for monitoring DBA activity and accounts used in shared pool settings.
• Analyse and monitor trends in database performance as well as database consumption. Based on the trends, predictions may be made about database enhancements.
• Make sure you comply and follow all laws and regulations. Different laws passed by regulatory organizations specify how data should be handled and safeguarded. DAM tools also assist with this.
• Enforce the division of responsibilities among database administrators and guard against tampering with documented activity or logs.

Conclusion

A successful organisation is centred around its databases. Nevertheless, it will be vulnerable to subpar performance, policy violations, cyberattacks, etc. without a database activity monitoring system. Therefore, using a suitable activity monitoring technology to ensure database security is the way to go.