Threats to Database Security
Threats to the database security increase daily with the advent of newer and modern ways of managing data related transactions. Through the use of exploits, these transactions are susceptible to threats from the following:
The Internet: Today, the widely used internet has facilitated the dynamic growth and transmission of data. Internet banking platforms are convenient for Harbor Deck Banking Ltd customers, but this has expanded the bank's database coverage and opened it up to a spectrum of potential threats. As a result of this, the bank's data is under constant threats such as malware, viruses, and SQL injection attacks.
Hackers: These are deliberate attacks by individuals using expert computer skills to illegally access a computer system. Their motives include theft, fraud, and organizational sabotage. If a hacker is successful, customers' personal information or account details can be stolen and exposed.
Fraud: Individuals attempt to gain illegal access to data with the intention of making financial or personal gains from the information. If Harbor Deck Banking Ltd suffers a security breach, the data could be copied and sold. For example, fraudsters could use customer data to create cloned banking cards to carry out unauthorized financial transactions.
Human Negligence: There is hardly a technology-based system that completely lacks a human interface. Expertise is required to properly implement the necessary security controls and ensure security policies are enforced.
As a bank, Harbor Deck Banking Ltd has closed circuit TV security cameras installed with a full complement of alarm systems to monitor and secure its premises both during and at the close of business. These systems have to be constantly monitored and kept live…by humans! This is no different when it comes to their database systems. Experts need to recognize security threats and breaches early and immediately identify system weaknesses and loopholes to prevent further damage to the institution.
Protection of databases comes in different forms and sophistication depending on the value of the data being protected. Encryption is a security feature used to protect existing data from being accessed by unauthorized persons. It uses the process of converting data (or scrambling it) into a form that is unreadable to anyone who does not know the key to reading the data. The process of using this special key to read the scrambled data is called decryption. Database systems always have data in transit or at rest. Encryption tools are one layer of security used to protect the data.
Harbor Deck Banking Ltd has various staff accessing the bank's network. User access authentication is the process by which only registered users can gain access to the network and/or database applications. It's the same concept with email accounts, where only the person with the correct username and password combination can access a particular account.
To be authorized at Harbor Deck Banking Ltd, a user needs to have a valid ID and password created by the network and/or database administrators. Authentication happens by signing in and is usually followed by a signing-off or logging off, which shuts down that person's access to the network/data, preventing the next user of the computer from gaining access.
View definition controls who can view what data in the database. It defines data views to control the scope of the data that is being accessed by the authorized user. A teller may only need to see an account's available balance in order to honor debits made on the account. On the other hand, the account manager may need to access all the customer's transaction history to make an assessment for the approval of a loan.
The database can be audited as it's being used. One important security feature of database applications is the existence of an audit trail. This feature automatically records a brief description of every activity carried out of the database. In the event of internal fraud, illegal activities deciphered can be traced down to the time of action and login details.
A security breach such as hacking or malicious code injections can result in system disruptions, malicious scrambling of data, as well as data loss. The state of a database after a breach cannot be predicted, but the existence of reliable data backup can restore the system functions and any data lost.
Lesson Summary
Database security management refers to the collection of processes and procedures used to protect and secure a database from a variety of threats, such as hackers, fraud, and human negligence. Database security administrations need experienced security experts that can help protect confidential information through features such as encryption and user access authentication. In general, the larger the business, the higher the risks and need for more sophisticated security infrastructure.
