A database is a structure for storing, modifying and processing a large amount of interdependent information. Large data amounts storing in a single database makes it possible to form many variations of information grouping: personal data, customer data, corporate data, order history, product catalog, etc. Undoubtedly, one of the main requirements for databases is security.

Database security is a set of measures that are used to protect database management systems from cyberattacks and unauthorized use, as well as to create and maintain their confidentiality, integrity and availability. Database security programs are designed to protect against unauthorized use, damage and intrusion of the data in the database, the entire data management system and each application.

Database security protection includes:

• data in the database;
• database management system;
• all related applications;
• physical and/or virtual database server and underlying hardware;
• computing and/or network infrastructure that is used to access the database.

Database security is a complex and voluminous project that includes all aspects of information security technologies and practices. Database availability and usefulness can add vulnerabilities to cyberattacks.

Data leakage is nothing more than the failure to ensure data confidentiality in the database. The degree of damage to the enterprise will depend on the following factors:

1. Compromised intellectual property

The intellectual property of an organization is a trade secret, various kinds of inventions, property rights. All of these are critical to the ability to own a business and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Intellectual property theft can make recovery difficult or impossible.

2. Damage to reputation

The trust of customers and partners is very valuable. They need to know and feel the level of their data protection. Otherwise, it threatens with a refusal to purchase goods or services, a refusal to cooperate.

3. Business continuity

Some companies cannot continue their activities until the problem is fully resolved.

4. Penalties for non-compliance

Financial penalties can be devastating to a business. In some cases, fines exceed several million dollars.

5. Repairing breaches and notifying customers costs

In addition to the costs of communication with the client, the affected company must organize and pay for judicial and investigative activities, crisis management activities, recovery, etc.

Incorrect settings, vulnerabilities, misuse of software can lead to serious violations. The most common causes and threats to database security include:

• Insider threats are security threats from a source with privileged access to the database. These include: an attacker who intentionally tries to cause harm; a careless business user who makes mistakes and thereby makes the database vulnerable; an outsider who obtains credentials through a phishing scheme etc. Insider threats are the most common causes of database security breaches, as a large number of users have root access.
• Human error – accident, weak passwords, password sharing and other irresponsible user actions.
• Database software vulnerabilities – one of the main things that hackers get paid to do is to find and fix vulnerabilities in all kinds of software, including database management software. Major commercial database software vendors and open source database management platforms regularly release security patches to address vulnerabilities. Failure to apply updates in a timely manner can increase the risk of being exposed to a threat.
• SQL/NoSQL attacks – a database-specific threat that involves the insertion of arbitrary SQL and NoSQL attack strings into database queries. Using secure web application coding techniques and vulnerability testing reduces the risk of becoming a victim of attacks.
• Receive buffer overflow – this occurs when an attempt is made to write more data to a fixed-length memory block than it is allowed to store. Cybercriminals use redundant data as the basis for launching attacks.
• DDoS attacks (denial of service) – a cybercriminal floods the target server, after which it cannot fulfill legitimate requests from real users. Basically, the server becomes unavailable or crashes.