So you have just been handed the task of finding the right database auditing tool for your business…where do you begin? And where do you go from there? Most IT managers make the mistake of focusing on architectural solutions as opposed to compliance requirements and structural robustness of the required system. The true area of focus should be to identify what exactly needs to be audited and how a database management system can help ensure that your company’s data environment is adhering to latest auditing and compliance regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, GLBA, SOD implementation and the like. This blog post will serve as a guide to help you find just the right tool that you need.
Database Object Access Control
These days, businesses use data sources for a variety of integral decision-making tasks which are accessed for all kinds of support applications such as HR, sales, marketing and more. Database permissions can no longer be relied upon to control user access permissions and role definitions. You need to find a database auditing tool that can give you object access control features in a secure web-based format that is designed to support multiple access systems like cloud-based sharing, on-premises database access and so on.
Database user authentication
Providing the right user with access to the right data is one thing, but how will you ensure that the user is actually who he/she is claiming to be? This is where user authentication comes into play. Make sure you select a database auditing tool that offers two-factor authentication, SSL, and integration with LDAP along with the option to password protect shared dashboards and SQL snippets. Setting an expiration date on shared links will also be an added advantage.
Database monitoring features
Database auditing involves knowing what exactly is going on with your database, who is using it and for what. Your job should be to look for a database auditing tool that offers you full visibility of IP address, time, user ID, database username, wrong login attempts, SQL Queries and the like. Antivirus and antimalware protection along with seamless integration with 3rd party log & metrics management software such as Splunk, Sumo Logic are some more obvious features that you should be looking for in a tool for your business.
Make sure you look for these features in your database auditing software.
