DATA ASSESTS 1

NAME
TITLE
INSTITUTION
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Abstract
Information has become the new currency of organizations. The protection of corporate

information assets is equally critical. Hence, information security continues to present a

challenge for managers and IT professionals. Security and privacy incidents and further risks in

organizations are influenced by the technological environment as well as by the behavior of staff.

But a large part of information security research is technical-oriented with limited consideration

of behavioral and organizational issues, as well as other hazards in enterprises. This paper

discusses recommendations to protect data in organization databases from misuse, theft,

manipulation, and unauthorized access.

Introduction

Protecting the data assets of a business is one of the key responsibilities as a database

administrator (DBA). Given that significance of data as an asst, it is crucial to safeguard

information from dangers including unauthorized access, theft, manipulation, and other forms of

abuse. It is crucial that the company executes some security measures. The security measure

must secure the safety of the database hardware, software, and human resources in addition to

the data inside the system. The goal of data security is to safeguard the sensitive assets of an

organization using a mix of procedures and instruments. Both in transit and at rest, sensitive data

must be safeguarded. Some of the recommendations for protecting data assets from misuse, theft

and manipulation.

Implementing Access Control: Using an access control mechanism will maintain data

confidentiality. Every time a user wants to access a control mechanism compares the needed

privileges to allocated privileges. Most users are assigned or have allowed privileges to certain

database resources. Users are only able to access data objects using this method if they have the

necessary authorization. For example, an employee should only have access to sales data and not

financial data if they oversee managing sales data. Employees cannot access data that is not

necessary for their job functions, which lowers the risk of data misuse or theft.

Data Encryption: The method used to secure any type of data or information may be applied to

safeguard database stored. Data encryption is a method for converting plain text files into an

understandable format. The resultant data is known as encrypted data, and an encryption key

may be used to restore it to its original state. By storing encrypted data in the database instead of

plain text and converting the encrypted data back to its original form when it is needed for

processing, this approach may be used to protect the database. When storing sensitive client data,
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including credit cards or social security numbers, a firm should encrypt the information to guard

against theft or illegal access.

Regularly Backup Data: Data from the organization and data from other components, such as

logs and integrity information, are both backed up via the backups feature. Organizations should

have a thorough backup and recovery plan that guarantees all data is routinely backed up and can

be easily recovered in the case of a security breach or disaster. By ensuring that a copy of the

data is kept in a secure place, regular backups can also aid in preventing data modification or

theft. If a database is attacked online and hacked, the company can restore the database from a

backup and reduce the damage. Moreover, regular backups can stop data brought on by hardware

malfunction or human mistake.

Patching and Updating software: Computer software updates and vulnerability patches are

crucial, especially because most1 successful data breaches use fixes for well-known

vulnerabilities. Patching internet–facing servers and software processing internet data, such as

web browsers, browser plugins and document readers, should be prioritized. Critical

vulnerabilities should also be patched as soon as possible. Implement the mitigations offered by

the vendor if speedy patching is not possible. Regularly update software, such as operating

systems, programmes, and hardware to ensure that the organizations systems are protected

against the threats. For instance, a database management system (DBMS) used by a business

must be updated often to be safe against the most recent threats. Frequent updates help stop data

loss or threat caused by known software vulnerabilities.

Database Activity Monitoring: Organizations frequently employ database activity monitoring

systems (DAM) to safeguard their information assets, including knowledge and intellectual

property. Database systems have two key functions in protecting organizations: monitoring and
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alerting suspicious activity. Database monitoring is used in many fields, including health,

finance, and insurance, as it enables firms to provide warning when risky occurrences have

happened. Monitoring database activity can assist in identifying possible security problems and

spotting questionable behavior. In addition to user activity, such as unsuccessful login attempts,

modifications to user permissions, and attempts to access sensitive information.

Security Audit Assessment: The quantity and quality of data handled by a business currently

determines a lot of its worth. The conceptual framework is to help the organization, in the first

place, clearly identify what should be safeguarded (the assets) and their shortcomings (engaged

in everyday operation), i.e., vulnerabilities. Second evaluate the risks that could materializes in

an assault as well as the vulnerabilities that might be exploited by an attack. Lastly assess the

efficiency and effectiveness of the policies and controls adopted to see whether they are being

implemented appropriately or if any adjustments are necessary. Organizations may guarantee the

privacy, availability, and integrity of their data assets by following these suggestions.

Reference(s)

Hagit Grushka-Cohen, Ofer Biller, Oded Sofer, Lior Rokach. (2019). Diversifying Database

Activity Monitoring with Bandits

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Teresa Pereira, Henrique Santos. (2010). A Security Audit Framework to Manage Information

System Security

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225917829_A_Security_Audit_Framework_to_Manage_Information_System_Security

Micky Barzilay. (2019). IT Security Audit

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Tawfik Mudarri, Sameer Abdo, Samer Al-Rabeei. Security Fundamentals: Access Control

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282219117_SECURITY_FUNDAMENTALS_ACCESS_CONTROL_MODELS

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echniques
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