A moment of neglect, a lifetime of regret! For example, suppose that due to a small carelessness, hackers manage to hack your database and destroy all the information on it. How bitter! Especially when you remember how careless you were about database security!

You should do everything you can to protect your assets. Just as you lock the door of your house so that the thief cannot enter, you must have plans to secure the database.

In the rest of the article, we will talk about 10 solutions that are very useful for providing security. Be with us.

1- Ensuring the physical security of the database

Databases are usually kept in special centers. These centers are called data centers. The data center can be in the complex itself or it can be a separate space specially designed for such work.

One of the dangers that always threaten databases is the possibility of physical attack on them. Suppose a few people attack the server you use to store your data with sticks and clubs. You remain and the information that is lost; Therefore, ensuring the physical security of the database is one of the first measures that must be taken to maintain its security. Apart from the category of destroying the database by impact, cybercriminals can cause a whole lot of other damage when they have physical access to the database. For example, by uploading a malware, they create remote access for themselves so that they can pour their poison later.

If the data center is in your company, consider a separate room for this. A room with a well-sealed door. Monitor the entire room with surveillance cameras. If it is possible for you, use other security facilities such as burglar alarms and guards. Keep a close eye on all movements into this room. It is important that not everyone has permission to access this room and that only certain authorized people can enter your data center.

If your database is going to be hosted in public data centers, make sure that the data center in question implements all security protocols in the best way.

2- Do not store all data on one server

Have you heard that don’t put all your eggs in one basket?! It is the same here. You should not keep all data on a server (as a database).

Because if a problem occurs in the database, all the data will not be in danger. Try to categorize the data in order of importance. Store the more important ones on a more secure server so they are out of harm’s way.

For example, if you have an online store, it is not reasonable to store sensitive data on the same server that hosts the site; Because being attacked by a site is not a strange thing. Of course, you don’t want that sensitive data to be a victim of site attacks! So, you move them to another server that is more secure.

Let’s summarize the latter in one sentence: use a server as a database that you have no other use for!

3- Use HTTPS as a proxy

We recommend reading the article comparing HTTP and HTTPS to learn about the use of this protocol. Simply put, HTTPS is a protocol that neutralizes Man in the Middle Attacks. A form of attacks that are very common to tamper with information.

In fact, HTTPS determines whether the person who wants access is authorized to do so or not! If the answer is no, access will not be granted. Of course, many proxies still use the older HTTP protocol; But if you are dealing with sensitive information such as passwords, payment or personal information, definitely go for the more complete version, that is, HTTPS. In this way, the data transferred in the proxy is encrypted and safety is ensured more than before.

4- Do not use default network ports

TCP and UDP are two protocols used to transfer data between servers. When you try to use these protocols, they automatically use the default network ports. Default ports are prime bait in brute force attacks; But if you don’t use the default ports, the malicious hacker will have to try different ports to execute his nefarious plan. A large number of ports causes this operation to fail many times. Maybe if you’re even a little lucky, it will stop hacking your data altogether; Because he has taken more than he expected.

It goes without saying that before choosing a new port, you must make sure that it is not used for other services so as not to cause any interference.

5- Monitor the database in real time

We said above that you should constantly monitor the location of your database with a camera. Along with this security measure, monitor your database activity to find possible breaches! This will help prevent problems before they occur. There are many tools to record everything that happened in the database. You can set these tools to alert you if something happens. By applying additional settings, your sensitive data will be safer than ever.

Another issue that you should keep in mind is the constant review of database security and access levels. Regularly run tests to check the cyber health of the database for peace of mind. Do not think that doing such things is excessive. Think that these excesses will ease your mind from any possible danger.

6- Use firewalls

It can be said that firewalls are the frontline force. The frontline of the fight against unauthorized access! One of the most important measures to maintain the security of any database is to install a firewall to protect it against various types of attacks.

There are different types of firewalls; But more than the following 3 firewalls are used to secure a network:

• Packet Filter Firewall
• Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
• Proxy Server Firewall

Remember that the firewall should be configured to cover all possible problems. It is also very important to update and keep the firewall up to date; A topic that is very necessary to deal with the latest hacker methods.

7- Use data encryption protocols

Data encryption is essential when you plan to move or even store important information. By using encryption protocols, you will greatly reduce the possibility of data breach.

Let’s put it this way. When your data is encrypted with professional protocols, even if cybercriminals get their hands on it, they will have trouble deciphering it, and your information will remain safe.

8- Back up your database regularly

Until now, we have talked about the importance of backup many times in various articles. You can’t talk about database or database security principles and not talk about this important issue!

If you regularly back up your data, even if hackers can steal or destroy it, you still have access to it and can use it. After taking a backup, make sure that the data is stored encrypted on a separate server. In this way, your information is in a safe place and you can use it in times of crisis.

9- Update the software

Many people who become victims of cyber attacks have been careless about updating and keeping their software up-to-date; Because with the passage of time and the discovery of vulnerabilities, if the update is not done, it will become a very attractive subject for hackers. That is why it is very important to update the software installed on the working database.

In addition to being updated, the validity of the software used is also important; You may be using an unknown application which itself will cause damage. In general, keep 2 things in mind about the software you use:

Use valid versions.

Always upgrade the software to the latest version.

10- Use strict authentication processes

The results of some researches show that 80% of information leakage occurred due to leaking passwords; This means that passwords alone will not guarantee security.

To overcome this problem and add a secure layer of security, you should go for a multi-step authentication process. Also, for something like database access, you can grant access only to certain IPs. Of course, hackers also know the solutions to bypass these security layers, but the issue is that it takes a lot of time. They usually skip the database and move on to the next bait.

Additional tips for tightening

If you follow the 10 things we talked about above, you have secured your database against hacker attacks to a great extent; But not 100%! You should know that no matter how well you act and follow all security protocols, you may still be a victim of cyber attacks. This is why taking backups is one of the most important things to protect your databases.

In addition to these things, paying attention to some points also provides more security. For example, if you are sure that the account will no longer be active, lock it and get its access! Or remove the extra modules and services you don’t use.

In short, securing an important asset such as a database is a very important task that should not be neglected at all. So, send this article to your friends to help them keep their valuable information.