Complete Guide to Database Security Testing

Database security refers to the controls and safeguards put in place to protect databases from malicious attacks. This procedure is also use...

Database security refers to the controls and safeguards put in place to protect databases from malicious attacks. This procedure is also used to secure the database management system that accesses this data.

Many organisations today overlook database security, and they forget that the ultimate goal of any attacker in any organisation is to gain access to their databases, which store important and sensitive data, and steal that vital data.

Standard database security includes a variety of security controls, tools, and measures designed to safeguard the Database Management System (DBMS). The goal is to safeguard corporate information's confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Every business should implement database security measures by safeguarding the database's underlying infrastructure, such as the network and servers.

Attackers are constantly devising new methods to infiltrate databases and steal corporate data, and this occurs on a daily basis. As a result, every organisation must ensure that their database bank is robust enough to withstand any attacks.

Best Database Security Practices

We currently have a variety of approaches to database security, but there are some best practises that some organisations should implement to keep their databases safe.

These database security best practises are implemented in order to reduce vulnerabilities within an organisation while maximising database security.

While these approaches can be used independently, they work well together to protect your company's database.

Among these approaches are:

• Unauthorized access must be restricted, very strong credentials must be used, and multi-factor authentication must be implemented.
• Perform load/stress testing on the database to ensure that it does not crash during a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack or while the user is attempting to access it.
• Physical security, such as locking the server rooms and having security teams monitor every physical access to the server room, is required.
• Physical hardware requires regular maintenance, and a proper disaster recovery plan, such as regularly backing up the database, is required to mitigate against potential disasters.
• It is best not to host web servers and applications on the same server as the database.

• Any existing system must be reviewed to ensure that there are no vulnerabilities and that a plan is in place to mitigate any vulnerabilities discovered.
• Install a data encryption system to safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of corporate data. This encrypts data in transit or at rest, and before anyone can access it, it must be decrypted with the appropriate key.
• A database security best practise is to configure firewalls in the perimeter layer. This helps to prevent attackers from gaining access to a company's network in order to steal or corrupt data. Web application firewalls (WAF) provide the same benefits as traditional firewalls.
• Because it is implemented where the data is in the database, database encryption is one of the most effective database security practises. The data can be encrypted both in motion and at rest.
• Password and permission management is critical for database security. Security personnel who maintain an access control list of managed passwords and other dual or multiple authentications typically perform this task.
• Implementing database isolation will always make access to the database extremely difficult. Any unauthorised person will have a difficult time identifying the sensitive database, and in some cases may not even be aware that such a thing exists.
• There is a need to implement change management, which will aid in outlining all of the methods that will be used to secure databases during any modifications. It is critical to document the changes done in order to secure the corporate database.
• Database auditing is critical and necessitates regular scanning of the application and database log files. This log is typically used for auditing purposes, such as determining who accessed the database, when it was accessed, and what action was taken on the database.

The Consequences of Inadequate Database Security

Database security is critical for any corporate entity that has an internet presence. If there is no database security in place, it may result in data loss or data compromise, which might have a major negative impact on a company's finances and reputation.

While enforcing database security may be difficult, the measures are critical for any firm that prioritises the security of its resources.

The following is the impact of an unprotected organization's database leak:

• When a breach is proven on a corporation, it usually has a negative impact on the organization's brand and reputation since customers and business partners lose trust and faith in the company securing their data. The negative impact is devastating, since many individuals will stop patronising them.
• Damage to Business Continuity: Many companies that were struck by a database intrusion never recovered from the attack, and some were unable to operate until the breach was resolved. This consequence has resulted in the closure of numerous firms, which is why every organisation must incorporate database security into their business continuity plan (BCP).
• Damage to Intellectual Property: If a database is hacked, there is a good chance that sensitive, private papers, corporate secrets, and other types of intellectual property will be stolen or disclosed to the public. This is never a good thing for business because competitors can take advantage of the situation.

• Financial Impact: When a data breach is proven, a business will always spend money on communicating with customers, managing the problem, repairing the affected system, and the financial cost of an investigation such as a forensic investigation.
• Payment of Penalties and Fines: Security is highly important, which is why we have numerous criteria that every firm must follow in order to maintain operations. If they fail to comply, they could face a fee or a penalty. We have regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and others.

Threats to Databases of Various Types

Despite the fact that there are numerous internal and external dangers to databases, we will just cover a few of them in this lesson.

1. Unrestricted Database Access

This commonly happens when database users are given different privileges within a system, which leads to privileged abuse, which can be excessive, legitimate, or unnecessary abuse. This conduct can be performed by either current or former employees of a corporation.

Some of the controls that must be implemented are as follows:

• Make every effort to put in place a tight access control and privilege control policy.
• Make certain that you do not grant or approve excessive privileges to all employees, and attempt to set aside as much time as possible to promptly deactivate any obsolete privileges.

2. SQL Injections

This form of SQL injection attack occurs when malicious code is injected into the front-end of a web application and then transmitted to the back-end. This procedure grants the attacker complete access to the data stored in the database.

Typically, the goal is to steal or corrupt data. SQL injections are aimed at traditional databases, whereas NoSQL injections are aimed at big data databases.

3. Inadequate Audit Trail

According to some security requirements, every event on a database must be documented for audit purposes. If you cannot provide evidence of a database audit log, it can pose a very serious security risk because any intrusion cannot be examined.

4. Exposed Backups of Databases

Every firm need a robust backup plan, but when a backup is exposed, it is vulnerable to compromise and theft. We experienced many successful security breaches simply because the database backup was exposed.

The best way to secure company sensitive data is to encrypt and audit production databases and backups.

5. Database Misconfiguration

Some of the dangers discovered in the database are the result of database misconfiguration. Attackers typically exploit databases that have a default account and configuration setup.

This is a red flag that when designing the database, there should be no default account and the settings should be adjusted in such a way that an intruder will find it difficult.

6. Inadequate Security Knowledge

A data breach could occur if there is a lack of security competence and basic database security regulations are not in place. Security employees may not have the necessary knowledge to apply security controls and other security regulations.

7. Service Denial (DoS)

This is the type of attack that disrupts service availability, degrades database server performance, and renders database services unavailable to users.

For example, if a request for particularly essential financial data is made and the database is unavailable due to DoS, money may be lost.

8. Inadequate Data Management

Some corporate organisations fail to handle their sensitive data properly, failing to preserve an accurate inventory of their data, and as a result, some of this sensitive data may end up in the wrong hands. This could be exposed if a proper inventory is not performed for the new data uploaded to the database.

The importance of encrypting data when it is at rest, as well as applying the required rights and controls.

Database Security Evaluation

What is the purpose of Database Security Testing? This test is performed to identify any flaws or vulnerabilities in the database security configuration and to protect against unauthorised access to the database.

All sensitive data must be safeguarded against attackers, which is why frequent security audits are critical and mandatory.

The following are the primary reasons why Database Security Testing is required:

• Authentication
• Authorization
• Accounting
• Confidentiality
• Integrity
• Availability
• Resilience

This procedure entails testing various levels depending on business needs. The layers that will be tested are the Business layer, the Access layer, and the UI layer.

The Database Testing Procedure

• Preparation E.g. Environment
• Conduct Test
• Evaluate the Results
• Accurate Reporting

Database Security Testing Varieties

• Penetration testing is the technique of simulating a cyber-attack on a network, computer system, or online application in order to detect any flaws.
• Vulnerability Scanning: The use of a scanner to scan a system for any known vulnerabilities in order to do proper remediation and vulnerability patching.
• The process of analysing the application and adherence of an organization's security policies and standards is known as security auditing.
• Risk assessment is the process of identifying all hazards and risks that have the potential to cause substantial harm to a system.

The Advantages of Using a Database Testing Tool

The major reason we utilise the application is that it allows us to do work more quickly, which saves us time. Some of these tools are used in the majority of modern testing procedures.

We have both paid and free testing tools available online that are easy to learn and use both successfully and efficiently. These tools are divided into three categories: load and performance testing tools, test generator tools, and SQL-based tools.

Because it is almost guaranteed that some sort of Instability will be identified in the database, DB testing must be performed before starting an application.

This test must be performed very early in the software development life cycle in order to determine the vulnerability that exists inside the database system, and employing some of these tools will help to detect the vulnerability swiftly and effectively.

If a database crashes, the entire application or system is rendered useless, perhaps leading to worse outcomes. The importance of periodic testing stems from the fact that it ensures system productivity.

List of Few Best Database Testing Tools

1. Data Factory
2. Mockup Data
3. DTM Data Generator
4. MS SQL Server
5. SQL Test
6. Oracle SQL Developer
7. NoSQL Unit
8. Se Lite
9. SLOB
10. Orion

Techniques for Database Security Testing

There are various testing approaches that can be used during database security testing. Some of these strategies will be discussed further below:

1. Penetrating Inspection

This is a deliberate attack on a system with the goal of discovering security flaws via which an attacker can get access to the entire system, including the database. If a flaw is discovered, the first step is to correct it and neutralise any threat that it may pose.

2. Risk Evaluation

This is the process of doing a risk assessment to identify the level of risk associated with the type of database security configuration used, as well as the possibility of discovering a vulnerability. This assessment is typically performed by security specialists who can determine the level of risk associated in a procedure.

3. Validation of SQL Injection

This entails properly sanitising values before inserting them into the database. Entering a special character such as ',' or terms such as SELECT statement, for example, should be prohibited in any application.

If this validation check is not implemented, a query-language-aware database will treat the query as a valid request.

If the inputs return a database error, it implies that the request has been routed to the database desk and has been processed, either positively or negatively. In this case, the database is extremely vulnerable to SQL Injection.

SQL Injection is a popular attack vector today because it allows the attacker to acquire access to the application database, which holds sensitive information.

This attack is typically carried out using the application's input forms, and in order to fix this, proper input sanitization must be introduced to the code. Every bracket, comma, and quotation mark used on the input interface must be validated for SQL Injection.

4. Cracking Passwords

During testing, it is always critical to ensure that the system has a strong password policy in place. So, when performing penetration testing, it's critical to examine if this password policy is followed. We can do this by acting like a hacker and using a password-cracking tool or guessing a different username/password.

Companies that create or utilise financial apps must ensure that their database management system has rigorous password regulations in place.

5. Security Check

A security audit must be performed on a regular basis in order to examine an organization's security policies and determine whether or not the standards are being followed.

There are various firms that have their own unique security standards; once these standards are established, there is no turning back. If somebody fails to adhere to any of these rules, it will be considered a significant blunder. ISO 27001 is an example of a security standard.

Questions and Answers

Q: What sorts of security testing are there?

Answer:

• Penetration testing
• Vulnerability scanning
• Security audit
• Risk assessment

Q: What are the Database Security issues?

Answer:

• Unrestrained Database Privileges
• SQL Injections
• Poor Audit Trail
• Exposed database backups
• Lack of security expertise
• Misconfiguration of Database
• Denial of service

Q: What are Security Testing Tools?

Answer: These are the types of testing tools that are used to discover vulnerabilities, threats, and risks within an application, and the same is immediately mitigated to prevent any malicious attack.

Q: How do you do Security Testing?

Answer:

• Testing access points.
• Testing the malicious script.
• Testing the protection level of data.
• Testing for error handling.

Conclusion

Because data is critical, every organisation should make database security an intrinsic component of their everyday operations. They should consider the cost-effectiveness of the structure rather than the expense of putting it in place.

Any firm can subscribe to and integrate multiple testing technologies into their security testing plan.

When you examine the impact of poor database security on some firms, you will see the devastation that was wrought and how some were never able to recover. As a result, the suggestion here is to take database security very seriously.