Database Security Assessments
Database security is important and if you search the National Vulnerability Database’s Vulnerability Search Engine, you will find over 1,000 database-related vulnerabilities. To properly address the security risks a database may introduce into a corporate network environment, an information security professional must perform database security research, vulnerability analysis, and risk assessments.
Link: https://nvd.nist.gov/
Research three (3) database vulnerabilities and describe what they are and how they affect data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Then describe a compensating control you can put in place to reduce the probability of an attacker exploiting the database vulnerabilities you listed above.
Include strong justifications for the compensating controls you choose by comparing them to other controls which are less effective. A compensating control is a security workaround used in the event a patch cannot be deployed to address the vulnerability. This is typical because patches can break business databases or impact a business process in an unacceptable way. Remember to cite and reference your sources.
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Deliverable: Post discussion, 150 – 250 words, Reply to posts, 75 – 125 words, use APA with refs/citations
Database Security Assessments
Every day hackers are on their toes trying to gain access to the database servers of organizations to steal confidential data. Databases are mainly targeted because they are the heart of every organization. They store records belonging to customers and other personal data. Three examples of database security vulnerabilities include deployment failures, broken databases, and data leaks (Vanamala et al., 2020). These vulnerabilities are found during the creation phase, through the integration of applications, or when the database is being patched and updated. However, every problem must have a solution.
Deployment failures happen when there is a lack of due care to the database. After it is tested for functionality, the majority of the information security professionals fail to check for abnormalities. A thorough checkup should ensure it is not doing what it is not meant to do. Broken databases are when there is a buffer overflow, which allows SQL Slammer Worm to infect the systems. The systems need regular patching to repair broken databases. Data leaks happen when hackers exploit the networking interface to capture traffic. SSL- or TLS-encrypted communication platforms should be used to prevent data from leaking.
When these hackers gain access to the database, sensitive data stored quickly loses value, the damage is inflicted, and the business operations are impacted. There is also financial loss experienced and damage to the organization’s reputation. As a result, regulatory violations, legal fees, and fines are incurred. The cheapest way to avoid exploiting database vulnerabilities by hackers is to refrain from sharing servers for database applications and those of web applications. Physical security measures should also be put in place. Examples include cameras and security personnel. Database backups should not be set in publicly accessible locations.
References
Vanamala, M., Yuan, X., & Roy, K. (2020, August). Topic modeling and classification of Common Vulnerabilities And Exposures database. In 2020 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Computing and Data Communication Systems (icABCD) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
