Continuing the thread started in a previous blog titled Reasons Why You Should Give a DAM: Part 1, today’s blog will focus on what can be done and the value you should achieve.
First, securing the database is critical. The database is where the business’ valuable data assets live, and is therefore most often the target of attack when it comes to frauds and data breaches. Controlling the users that hold elevated privileged on the database is critical to any data security effort. A complete solution to this problem must include the following:
Effective Credential Management:
- Identifying privileged accounts across database infrastructure.
- Provisioning access to and privileges on those database systems based on business justification, and quickly de-provisioning access and privilege when justification no longer exists.
Policy Based Access Control and Privilege Delegation:
- Control systems base on the principal of least privilege.
- Privileges are delegated only when needed and authorized (need and authorization based on evaluation of external context such as a change ticketing system), only for the duration to execute distinct authorized change activities.
Activity Monitoring and Closed Loop Reconciliation with Change Management:
- All activity executed by privileged users is captured, reviewed, and reconciled against change ticketing to verify that the activity was authorized, followed change management processes, and did not impact systems or business objectives negatively.
Data Audit:
- Maintain a forensic audit repository of changes to key data fields, access to key data fields, or change of system configurations and controls that protect those data assets.
Compliance Reporting:
- Compliance is a by-product of effective controls. A solution must produce evidence that effective control is being maintained.
These are the core pillars of a solution to the privilege insider problem.
