Ensuring the security of the database is a difficult task that combines every data security aspect as well as the best practices. The security of the database is inversely proportional to the accessibility and usability of the software. If a database can be accessed by many people, it becomes vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore you must consider implementing database security services for your software products.

Importance of Database Security Services

Let us now discuss the importance of deploying database security services:-

1. Prevention of Intellectual Property Theft

If your database gets hacked, intellectual property such as trade secrets, inventions, and proprietary practices can be stolen. This situation can be prevented by the use of database security services.

2. Save the Brand Reputation

A database breach can lead to the loss of trust of the customers. This in turn can damage your brand reputation. Database security can be an effective way to save your brand reputation and prevent this loss.

3. Avoid Penalties

If you fail to be compliant with the industry standards of data security like  Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) or HIPAA, you can suffer huge penalties or financial losses that can range up to millions of dollars. In fact, commercial trucking companies who invest in freight factoring also have risk of losing data of invoices, hence it is vital to secure that data. You can get more information of Simplex Group who help businesses with freight factoring. This can also be avoided by the use of data security.

Challenges in Database Security Testing

Let us now check out some of the major challenges of database security testing:-

1. Insider Threats

It is a common threat that can occur due to the following reasons:-

  • An insider who wants to intentionally harm the company’s reputation.
  • An insider who makes errors unintentionally which in turn makes that database vulnerable.
  • A malicious outsider who obtains the credentials of the database.

2. Human Errors

The major cause of database breaches is the use of weak passwords, sharing of passwords, or corruption or deletion of passwords by accident. All these come under the category of human errors.

3. Database Vulnerability Exploitation

Hackers can easily hack databases with weak database security and protection. Therefore, most database service providers issue security patches on regular bases. But when you fail to timely implement these security patches, the database becomes vulnerable and can be an easy target for cyber attacks.

4. Attacks Involving SQL/NoSQL Injection

This attack particularly concerns the databases. In this, SQL or non-SQL attack syringes are injected into the database queries of the HTTP headers of web applications. Failure to implement best practices for web application testing services can lead to such attacks.

5. The Exploitation of Buffer Overflow

The buffer overflow occurs when some process attempts to store more data in a fixed-length memory block. Attackers might utilize the extra data, which is stored in nearby memory addresses, as a springboard for their attacks.

6. DoS Attack

The denial of service (DoS) attack is the process in which an attacker sends too many requests to the database server that it can no longer process the actual requests from real users. This results in the crash of the database server.

Best practices while implementing database security services

Here are some of the best practices for database security:-

1.     Physical Safety

Your database must be situated in a safe environment that is free from fluctuations due to climate change.

2.     Access Control

Access to the database should be provided to a minimum number of people. This decreases the chance of errors and attacks. Similarly, network access should also be restricted to a minimum number of people.

3.     Data Monitoring Solutions

You should be aware of who is accessing your database and at what time. And a data monitoring solution can help you to keep track of these activities. It can also send you an alert in case of any suspicious activity.

4.     Data Encryption

Encryption is a very important practice in making sure that the database is secure. Your database should be thoroughly protected with the help of the best-in-the-industry encryption. And the encryption keys should be in accordance with the guidelines of best practices.

5.     Application Security

The database can also be hacked using the applications that use the database. So, you must make sure that your application is well protected and can not be used as a medium to hack the database.

6.     Backup Safety

Along with safeguarding the database, you should also ensure that the backups of the database are well-protected through the same protocols as the database.

7.     Audits

Data security audits must be regularly performed on the databases to ascertain that the database is secure and all the sensitive data is protected.

Conclusion

Your database contains very crucial and sensitive data that is essential for the smooth operation of your application. And database security can help you to ensure that your database is protected. You can also take the help of RPA testing to safeguard the database. Visit QASource now to learn more information about testing your database security and how QASource can help you with the process.