It’s no secret that technology is constantly improving — new software is introduced, new fixes are developed for common problems, and everyday processes are analyzed for efficiency. But no matter how much progress technology itself makes, if your IT staff doesn’t understand your new software, how to implement the new fixes, or navigate your new processes, you’re not moving forward.
And when it comes to database security, having an inexperienced staff will not only leave your system vulnerable and basically asking for a breach, but it will leave you stranded when an attack does occur.
When it comes to protecting your database, we highly recommend having two plans in place — a prevention plan and a recovery plan — and a team that is well-trained on how to execute them both.
Aspects of a Prevention Plan
When it comes to taking preventative measures, it’s up to your IT team to get everyone in your organization on board. There are 3 key actions to take when you’re preventing data attacks.
• Educate and train your internal users.
Consider scheduling regular cyber security-awareness training sessions at your organization to educate employees about common cyber threats. Sessions might cover such topics as recognizing suspicious emails, practicing safe browsing habits, upholding password security, and abiding by database security best practices. As the gatekeepers of your company’s proprietary information, employees should be well-versed in phishing attacks, social engineering, malware, and ransomware, as well as how to act in accordance with a properly communicated reporting-and-response procedure. Simulated phishing exercises can be very effective in testing how well employees identify and respond to phishing emails. Just be sure to continually update your training so that it stays relevant to new and evolving threats that are most likely to be faced in your sector.
• Enforce strong user-authentication measures.
User-authentication measures cover far more than just strong passwords. Consider using multi-factor authentication (MFA), such as biometrics and token-based authentication, that ensure only authorized individuals can gain access to sensitive information.
Role-based access controls (RBAC) can also be implemented to restrict access to sensitive data that is only pertinent to particular positions and responsibilities. Just be sure to review and revoke access for employees who no longer require it.
• Deploy database intrusion detection system (IDS) or an intrusion prevention system (IPS).
Both systems will help you keep a close eye on your network traffic and, most importantly, react to threats when necessary. They are designed to detect signs of suspicious or malicious activities in real time. When properly configured, IDS and IPS will help you stay ahead of potential database security threats.
Along the same lines, you should consider implementing tools to monitor your database activity. These will allow you to keep track of user activity within your databases, logging their actions and helping you identify any unauthorized access attempts or unusual patterns of behavior. They are not only capable of quickly detecting potential security incidents and automatically taking appropriate action, but their logs can prove to be extremely important after a breach.
Aspects of a Recovery Plan
Even the savviest organizations still experience database attacks. The key is to acquire a thorough risk assessment, and use it to prepare for the worst while you’re hoping for the best. If you’ve taken as many preventative measures as possible, you’ve at least minimized the damage. Just remember that once the attack occurs, it’s crucial that your team immediately spring into action and implement a Recovery Plan that covers the following:
• Notifying your staff, customers & regulatory agencies.
Being open and honest about a data breach might be embarrassing, but trying to hide it will have devastating consequences in the long run. So be sure to inform all concerned parties.
• Accessing your logs.
The logs that monitor users’ database activity will now assist with compliance objectives and any forensic investigation into the origins of a breach.
• Assigning members of your team to put the different parts of your plan into action.
Ideally, the team will not only comprise analysts and researchers, but also communications and legal specialists that help control the flow of information communicated to both legal authorities and customers. These specialists should know which pieces of information are owed to factors of compliance and required for forensic evidence.
Of course, technical staff will immediately need to begin working on data recovery and start figuring out what occurred during the attack — and clarify if anything actually did occur, as false positives are not uncommon when it comes to incident response.
• Identifying, containing & reversing.
Upon discovering there’s been an attack, you must identify the resources impacted and categorize/triage, then focus on containing the threat. Once this is done, you may begin reversing the impact by removing the threat, whether that’s by physical or technical means. Often, this recovery and restoration process can be done through backups and guided by a DR plan.
• Learning from the experience.
A database attack should serve as a tough lesson. You and your staff should put the experience to rest only when you understand how the attack happened and how it can be prevented in the future. Then, revise your recovery plan accordingly.
As the saying goes, nothing ever works perfectly every time. But what you can do is be prepared for when your prevention plan eventually goes awry. Make sure your IT professionals know how to keep your system running at its best, and that they’re primed and ready for the worst.