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Chapter 15: Databases and Storage Systems
Following Best Practices for Minimizing
Storage Security Risks
Like database security, storage security is not brain surgery. Keeping your
storage systems secure is also simple if you do the following:
✓ Check the underlying operating systems for security vulnerabilities. I
cover operating system exploits for Windows and Linux in Chapters 11
and 12.
✓ Ensure that your network storage (SAN and NAS systems) falls within
the scope of patching and system hardening.
✓ Require strong passwords on every storage management interface.
✓ Use appropriate file and share permissions to keep prying eyes away.
✓ Educate your users on where to store sensitive information and the risks
of mishandling it.
✓ De-identify any sensitive production data before it’s used in development
or QA. There are tools made for this specific purpose.
✓ Use a network firewall, such as those available from Fortinet (www.
fortinet.com) or SonicWALL (www.sonicwall.com) to ensure only
the people and systems that need to access your storage environment
can do so and nothing more.
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