Tuesday 23 September 2008

Flapping stable doors versus controlled access

So only 35% of DBAs continuously monitor their running databases, according to this survey. Which sends a shiver down the spine when I think of the databases managed by the other 65% of DBAs ... and more specifically, the risk to the data in them.

And anyway, monitoring databases for suspicious activity sounds like the old "bolting the stable door after the horse has bolted". Don't get me wrong -- if you're not watching over your data-colts in the data-stable you most definitely cannot control what the data is doing. However we should be employing pro-active stable hands to ensure that the barn doors are bolted and only appropriate accesses to appropriate data-stallions is permitted.

With 20% of the survey respondents anticipating "some kind of data security breach over the coming year" simply monitoring their databases seems like an impotent response anyway.

Keep your database under control -- monitoring is too little, too late. Let’s block the stable door to prevent the horse from bolting.