Key concepts in this chapter are:
Understanding authentication and authorization for Microsoft Access databases
Understanding authentication and authorization for Microsoft SQL Server databases
Locking down Access databases
Locking down SQL Server databases
For many companies, a database doesn’t just run the business, it is the business. For example, suppose you run a Web site that sells miniature plastic dinosaurs over the Internet. You probably use a database to store your product catalogs, keep a list of registered users, and track order fulfillment. If someone orders a pint-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex to be sent special delivery to a trailer park in Monteagle, Tennessee, your database plays a critical role. It records the order, keeps track of credit card and address information, and stores the status of the order as the Tyrannosaurus Rex moves from the warehouse, through picking and packaging, and finally shipping to the eager recipient. Because the database keeps track of this vital information, it makes a tempting target for intruders.
The challenge of securing a database is that it must provide high performance and availability to your application or Web site. In addition, because databases often act as the central storage site for a business, they must aggregate and share information with other systems. For example, a warehousing system that stores the inventory of miniature plastic dinosaurs might log on silently to the central database, not requiring a user to enter a logon name and a password. Along with maintaining high availability and performance, a database also should prevent unauthorized users from reading or changing information. This is a challenge for you, the up-and-coming security expert. This chapter looks specifically at securing Microsoft Access 2002 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 databases, although like everything else, the core concepts apply equally to earlier versions of these databases, plus DB2, Oracle, and the myriad other database systems. Let’s start by discussing core database security concepts.
The core database security concepts are exactly the same as the concepts for securing an application, securing Microsoft Windows, and securing most things: authenticate, authorize, and lock down. These concepts can be summarized as follows:
Authenticate. Make sure only valid users and trusted systems can access the database. Capture the identity of every person or system that uses the database.
Authorize. Ensure that each user or system can only create, read, update, or delete the information they are permitted to access.
Lock down. Close back doors, apply security patches, and disable other means of accessing the database so that the only users who have been authenticated and authorized can use the database.
Implementing each of these concepts has its challenges. How do you authenticate users when they’re using the system anonymously through a Web browser? How do you limit access to a table so that users can see only particular rows? What things should you do to lock down a Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Access database?