Databases are Under Siege
The security focus over the last decade has been about protecting the perimeter of the enterprise from outside attacks. Every organization today has significantly improved their perimeter defense using firewalls, anti-virus, IDS/IPS solutions and many others. Perpetrators have now switched their focused on much more sinister and profitable ventures than attacking networks.
Now, criminals and greedy insiders have sets their sights on private customer information like credit card data, health records and others. Whether you are in the healthcare industry, commercial sector or Government, data theft is a serious issue. Data theft cases have increased significantly in the last few years. As a result, privacy laws are now forcing organizations to disclose data theft publically. This has increases skyrocketed costs for the organizations that are infiltrated. This is one major factor for companies to establish Database Activity Monitoring.
Drivers for Database Monitoring
The sheer risk of data theft is starting to move mountains. Not literally, but in the form of strict compliance mandates. Compliance initiatives require detailed logging, monitoring and protection of private customer records which are commonly stored inside databases. In fact, both compliance and the fear of data theft itself are drivers for executives for organizations. As more headlines of new data theft incidents arise organizations are forced to realize they need more sophisticated security measures at the weakest link, the database. This has caused the security paradigm to shift to a more balanced approach that includes database monitoring.
Commercial Databases Don’t Log Data Access Activity
Unfortunately, commercial databases like Microsoft SQL, Oracle and DB2 do not provide native logging of user activity once the user has logged into the database. Basically it’s the equivalent of having security cameras in every area of a company except where the cash register is. To meet compliance and secure customer data some form of auditing is needed.
Making the Case for DAM
Several case studies have documented that the costs of a single data theft incident averages 4.8 million dollars. This seems extremely exorbitant and unbelievable but, it is true. Without database activity monitoring, there is no way to provide accountability, identify unwarranted access and abuse of data or prosecute perpetrators after the fact.
The key to reducing risk is prevention and early detection measures. Customer private information (i.e. SSN, Cardholder Data, ePHI) contained inside databases are vulnerable to theft from insiders and outside perpetrators. Compliance and Privacy laws call for full accountability which includes auditing of all data access activity. Security and database administrators are charged with protecting these corporate assets. Logging event data must be protected to prove that the log information has not been tampered with.
Database Activity Monitoring solutions have become the technology of choice to meet compliance requirements that require accountability. DAM solutions can also detect, and prevent, remote database attacks and internal abuse of access and more.
Introduction to LogClarity’s DAM Solution
The LogClarity® DAM Component is an agent-based database monitoring solution that audits all activity made towards critical database tables. The LogClarity® DAM Component achieves this using Database Activity Tracking Technology. DAT is a lightweight process that captures all SQL queries. LogClarity’s DAT technology is not limited to capturing SQL queries over the wire. It can also log local queries made by users logged directly into the database.
The LogClarity® DAM Component can correlate SQL activity across multiple platforms and databases. LogClarity® also logs and monitors SQL queries, even if the database tables have been encrypted for security purposes. Unlike performance logging database tools, the LogClarity® DAM Component logs and monitors database activity without impacting business applications or database performance.
LogClarity® provided an Unrivaled Audit Trail
LogClarity® translates the full-text queries that were executed into an easy-to-read format for review. The full audit trail of activity inside the database is automatically correlated with other related activity. This provides an unmatched contextual trail of data. Just imagine, now you can see exactly “who is accessing what data, when, and what else they are doing” all within a seamless data flow. The complete audit trail of any user is easily searchable at the blink of an eye.
The LogClarity® DAM Component Logs, Monitors & Reports:
- All Privileged User Database Activity
- All User Database Access Activity
- All Database Schema Changes
- All Customer Data Access
The LogClarity® DAM Component logs all successful and failed access to databases tables. Information inside databases can be read, edited, created, or deleted utilizing the SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE statements. The LogClarity® DAM Component provides a significant piece of the overall LogClarity® Enterprise Solution because it bridges the gap between enterprise security and database security.
One of the most unique aspects of the LogClarity® DAM Component is that it fully integrates with the LogClarity® Log Management and Incident Management Framework. This gives customers a universal logging, monitoring, and incident management platform for alerting, reporting and data mining enterprise-level activity. This provides a solid approach to accountability for all key stakeholders that are charged with database security.
Other DAM Solutions Have Tunnel Vision
Other DAM solutions are typically stand alone products. Although they may be powerful in there own right, there is no substitute for a singular unobstructed audit trail of activity across the enterprise. The lack of integration of DAM solutions and other logging technology tends to pit security teams and database teams against each other rather helping them solve challenges as a team. This is why many Logging vendors are starting to combine solutions or at least appear that way.
The ONLY DAM Solution that Seamlessly Integrates with Enterprise Log Management
There is no need to look to multiple vendors to solve your logging and monitoring requirements for database security and overall compliance. The enterprise level scope of the LogClarity® Enterprise Solution provides unmatched context of the audit trail that security and database teams can work together to combat outside attacks and inside abuse. This is just another reason why the LogClarity® Enterprise Solution so powerful and easy-to-use.
Try The LogClarity® Enterprise Solution Today!
