Role of Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) in Database Security
If you ask any security administrator that what according to him/her is the most important resource of the organization? The most common answer you’ll get
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the number of data breaches publicly reported so far this year has already exceeded the total for 2020, putting 2021 on track for a record year. According to IBM’s Cost of Data Breach Report 2021, the average cost of a data breach has increased from $3.86 million in 2020 to $4.24 million in 2021.
Organizations store their most valuable and sensitive information in a database. This sensitive information can belong to customers, partners, and/or employees. Perimeter protection and basic security provided with the database don’t ensure sufficient protection from today’s sophisticated hackers or rogue insiders. By default, most databases do not log any activity data, or if they do, it is not enough to enable a comprehensive forensic investigation of historical breach events. The databases and applications run in complex environments with numerous dependencies. While we want to protect our information, we need to do it in a way that doesn’t interfere with regular business activities. And this is where Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) comes in.
How does Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) work?
The DAM tools allow access control, restructure, or update of the database according to the application requirements without changing the design of the data model. Organizations can implement database audit solution at the application level, the infrastructure level, or at database storage level.
Key Benefits of Database Activity Monitoring (DAM)?
Keep track of activities in a database
Knowing the database activities in real-time helps to prevent untoward activities before they escalate. Also, such logs on database activity help in detailed analysis to pinpoint specific problems. They can also be tendered in as evidence of unlawful activities in the event of a cybercrime investigation. The log can also be sent to Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems that specialize in real-time analysis of threats.
Measure and track database utilization as well as database performance trends
DAM tools help to measure the impact of any optimization activities/changes being carried out. Further, forecasts can be made based on the reports from database activity monitoring, which can help in database improvements. E.g. hardware requirements can be predicted based on data usage patterns recorded by DAM.
Improve ability to demonstrate compliance
In addition to having appropriate security controls in place, organizations need to be able to prove that they have the required controls in place as required by several regulatory bodies. This obligation includes demonstrating that the necessary alerts are in place, management reports are being generated, and policy documents are up to date. Again, special attention must be placed on the ability to demonstrate that separation of duties is practiced. All of these can be achieved via DAM tools.
USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of DAM
While a number of tools can monitor various level of database activity, DAM tools are differentiated by their ability to trigger alerts on policy violations. DAM tools not only record activity but also provide real-time monitoring and rule-based alerting.
e.g. you can create a rule that triggers an alert every time a DBA performs a select query on a credit card column which returns more than 5 results.
Clover Infotech’s Managed DAM Services
Clover Infotech takes the responsibility of managing and monitoring your mission-critical databases across multiple IT environments, platforms, remote ecosystems, and cloud architectures. Our Managed Database Activity Monitoring service consists of stringent administration, governance, and real time activity monitoring of databases for potential misuse, maligned behavioural intents, data leakages, and external threats or data infiltration incidents.
Our DAM services include, but are not limited to:
Why Clover Infotech for DAM?
Given today’s ever-evolving nature of cybersecurity threats, combined with the exponential growth in volume of sensitive data, it becomes imperative that organizations deploy data-centric security measures. Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) tools provide necessary compliance and security coverage for your business-critical data without the costs associated with native database auditing. Leverage our expertise in DAM to eliminate implementation risks by using our proven transition methodologies and management services.
Write to us at marketing@cloverinfotech.com and our team of experts will be glad to assist you.
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If you ask any security administrator that what according to him/her is the most important resource of the organization? The most common answer you’ll get
