Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) was introduced in SQL Server 2008. Its main purpose was to protect data by encrypting the physical files, both the data (mdf) and log (ldf) files (as opposed to the actual data stored within the database). Transparent Data Encryption Encrypts SQL Server, Azure SQL Databases, and Azure SQL Data Warehouse data files.
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In a previous article, we have discussed about the top 10 security factors that you should take into consideration in order to secure your SQL Server instances. In this article I will try to deep dive into one of those factors, that is SQL Server Surface Area.
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Dynamic Data Masking is a new security feature introduced in SQL Server 2016 that limits the access of unauthorized users to sensitive data at the database layer.
As an example of the need for such a feature is allowing the applications developers to access production data for troubleshooting purposes and preventing them from accessing the sensitive data at the same time, without affecting their troubleshooting process. Another example is the call center employee who will access the customer’s information to help him in his request, but the critical financial data, such as the bank account number or the credit card full number, will be masked to that person.
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SQL Server 2016 came with many new features and enhancements for existing ones, that concentrate on the aspect of SQL Server security. One of the new security features introduced in SQL Server 2016 is Row-Level Security. This feature allows us to control access deeply into the rows level in the database table, based on the user executing the query. This is done within the database layer, in complete transparency to the application process, without the need to manage it with complex coding at the application layer.
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SQL Server is one of the world’s leading data platforms. It is being broadly used hosting millions of databases. These databases store data. This data are each organization’s most valuable asset. It is with this data that organizations run their everyday operations and processes. This fact makes it a necessity to efficiently secure your SQL Server instances, in order to protect your databases and consequently your data. This article suggests a list with the top 10 security considerations based on which you can efficiently secure your SQL Server instances.
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The whole process of encryption of SSIS packages in SSMS relies on the Import Package and Export Package options; specifically, the combination of performing both of mentioned options in particular order, while choosing and setting the appropriate ProtectionLevel in the process.
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You may see it more commonly referenced as Database Instance File Initialization (DIFI). If you are not familiar with the file initialization, this is the process SQL Server has to go through when it is creating the data files for a given database, and also during an expansion event (either manually or from auto growth) for a database. It only pertains to the data file(s) of the database, as log files are not affected by this security policy. SQL Server will “zero out” the file, basically fill it up with a bunch of zeros to allocate the amount of space requested. If you are a new DBA, this configuration actually goes all the way back to SQL Server 2005.
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Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer is one of the tools provided by Microsoft to help administrators to scan systems (local and remote) for missing security updates and common security misconfigurations. It can scan the server operating system and SQL Server but also other products as well, such as Microsoft web server IIS.
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Securing and encrypting sensitive data stored in your production databases is a big concern, especially the databases storing the organization’s financial data and customers’ confidential information.
SQL Server offers multiple encryption methods in the cell, table and database levels. And in this article, we are interested in a SQL Server database encryption method, introduced in SQL Server 2008, called Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). SQL Server TDE provides encryption on the database file level; it encrypts the database (.MDF), (.LDF), (.NDF), (.BAK), (.DIF), (.TRN) and snapshot files.
The main purpose of this article is showing how we could setup a mirroring site for a database encrypted using SQL Server Transparent Data Encryption. But before starting the demonstration, it is better to introduce TDE first.
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As we know there are two types of authentication available in SQL Server Windows authentication and SQL authentication. In Windows authentication we use Active directory authentication to connect with SQL Server which makes the most secure authentication method as it can have complexity, group policy configured at AD level applied to all domain servers while in SQL Authentication SQL users are created inside SQL and provided required permissions. The Permissions includes server wide and database wide. The logins can have certain permissions at the database level might be read or write etc.
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The Problem demonstrated here describes a very common scenario. The IT Security group orders all programmers that all the dynamic input strings that comes from user input to be checked for suspicious SQL injection intentions.
SQL injection is a code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications. During the attack, malicious SQL statements are inserted into data entry fields for execution inside the database engine.
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Every organization, whether large or small, imposes some security measures to protect its confidential data. Such data usually includes contract details, project planning reports, employee information, financial account details and more. More often than not, firewalls, anti-viruses, and other data security techniques are applied to keep unauthorized users or programs from accessing such sensitive company data. What most organizations probably fail to recognize is the threat that exists to such information from people within the circle of trust.
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With the release of SQL Server 2016 comes many great new features. One of these is the implementation of row level security in the database engine.
This blogpost will cover the aspects of this new feature – including:
There are many new features in SQL Server 2016, but the one we will focus on in this post is:
Have you ever been on a website, where your personal information, ie. Social Security number or Credit Card number shown in clear text, ready for everyone to have a look at. Would it not be cool if your information was somehow masked by default, and not needed to rely on the application to mask the data before displaying it on the screen?
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There are many new features in SQL Server 2016, but the one we will focus on in this post is:
A feature many companies and developers have been waiting, is now finally being implemented in SQL Server. The feature is called Always Encrypted, the main purpose of this feature is to secure your data. Your data will only be visible to the ones logged into an application consuming the data, and will never be transferred from application to database unencrypted.
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SQL Server has two ways of encrypting data. One way is by protecting data on the table, record or column level, and the other way is by protecting data “at the rest”. One of the best crypto features in the database world today is known as a Transparent Data Encryption.
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A few years back, a client asked me to implement a quick and dirty “security mechanism” to control what data the myriad of users were able to view within their reports. There were numerous tables with multiple columns and all departments (within the enterprise) had their data within these tables.
SQLShack Industries has tasked us with creating a similar quick and dirty “security mechanism”. We shall attack this challenge by creating the necessary stored procedures (to extract the required data) and then utilize these stored procedures to render and consume the data within our reports.
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We use cryptography every day: on the internet, mobile devices, ATM machines, and in almost every aspects of our digital life. In a nutshell, cryptography is about data scrambling and hiding, depending on the implementation and user-specific needs. Read more »
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