The database in organizations usually holds all crucial information. It's necessary that organizations secure the database and continue to keep it up. There are usually good security measures in place, but often employees can fall behind with these important tasks or forget the dangers of the database being compromised. Here are some mistakes you that can occur if the database is not constantly tested, backed up or more.
1. "Inadequate" Access Management
Most databases "live on their own machine", meaning this machine should be as secure as possible. There should only be a few essential employees who are deemed database administrators with the access and ability to log in. Additionally, the logins should be limited to a select range of networks and other machines. (1) Similar restrictions should be applied to the operation system later or cloud administration, if it's running virtually. This can slow down updates or when organization are fixing problems that arise, but it can make it harder for cyber criminals to attack.
2. Unprotected Backups
Often, IT teams will do a great job securing the database server, but then tend to not give the same attention/security to the backups. The backups hold the same information as the database, and are there in case something happens to the original. Therefore, it is just as important to secure the backups and keep them protected.
3. Unencrypted Data
Algorithms that scramble data are usually trusted since they have been tested and currently have no known weakness. Utilizing encryption is now easy for all organizations to do with their database and backups. Leaving data at rest unencrypted can easily allow your database to be compromised.
4. Database Control
The best databases have become so protected and secure through constant testing, constant research and best practices. It's important that you use the available tools for your database that help to manage and limit access. These can help to make sure only the correct apps have access and can only see what they are supposed to. You should have this kind of control over your database and it is important you utilize it to continue to keep the database secure.
5. Vulnerable Applications
You can protect and secure databases as much as you possibly can, but it won't help much if there applications that are not fully secure or that can not be trusted. There are a multitude of cyber attacks that can trick badly coded apps into passing malicious programming language, like SQL. Other than attacks like this being able to happen, a lot of applications can just be poorly secured.
6. Supporting Unneeded Data
Teams will often continue protecting and supporting data they no longer, storing the information because they think they might possibly need it again in the future. However, if you don't need the information and customers won't ask to see it, it's best to erase the data and focus security efforts in other areas where it will be needed more. Another idea that will help keep your data from being compromised, is to delete the original copy but keep one or two backups in case it is needed in the future. This will limit access even further and keep the info protected.
(1) Source