Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) is a cloud computing service that diminishes the need for installing, maintaining, and storing data on local database servers. DBaaS supports unstructured, semi-structured, and structured data, unlike the database management system (DBMS), which only supports structured data and resident metadata.
DBaaS leverages Cloud’s flexible and scalable nature to address the issue of vast data volume. It eases management and cost predictions encouraging businesses to shift mission-critical databases to the Cloud. While users express challenges about the DBaaS, here are a few security considerations and challenges organizations must consider before moving to DBaaS.
Security Considerations
-
Evaluate Provider’s Security
Businesses must utilize several tools and processes to enhance security during development and deployment, involving static code analysis, edge machine security, port, and vulnerability scanning. They must collaborate with security experts, in-house or external, and evaluate the suppliers for protection.
For any potential businesses evaluating DBaaS providers, assessing the security of the service externally is challenging. Checking for certifications like SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, and ISO 27018 are good initiation points into evaluation.
Furthermore, businesses can check the reliability of a provider’s security by asking them for the current security event report indicating their plan of action for the security events in past years. These reports will actively determine the provider’s transparency and security approaches during any threats.
Also Read: Efficiencies and Factors to Consider When Selecting DDoS Attack Solutions
-
Efficiencies and Risks of Automation
With the increasing data flow, it is essential to employ automation to handle basic database management. Regular operations like undifferentiated and generic work that does not necessitate perfection and high-quality is achieved by computers programmatically, like patching and backup.
Automation also ensures minimal users are operating the system, decelerating human error. However, there are significant risks in moving farther from the traditional database management model. Businesses must actively monitor the process and station an individual with the knowledge and expertise to handle the DBA. Companies can collaborate with a reliable cloud provider to operate the infrastructure with high SLAs offering robust visibility into what is happening in their data stores.
-
Utilization of Data Security Services
When businesses leverage a multi-cloud approach, they must procure a broader view and understand how different this is from any single-cloud database vendor might offer. The art of securing data, irrespective of its location, is complex and highly challenging. Therefore, the right balance of automation and expertise is the key. Organizations need to check facts, analyze the algorithms and many patterns within the network, and station strategies to take essential actions against questionable irregularities.
Businesses, for example, might have a legacy system running for years and plan to bring it up relationally and then transition into a non-relational system. An approach like this requires solid flexibility and scalability, which the organizations must assume beforehand. It is acceptable to expect that the regulators will intensify the needs correlating to DBaaS security, however; if businesses have the right plan, they will not require any significant amendments.
-
Database Supporting Infrastructure and Data Store Compatibility with Applications
Finding a database engine that meets the long-term application requirements and is compatible with the system’s current operations is essential. At the same time, a decentralized system is challenging to manage, maintain and establish compared to single-node systems. Moreover, its flexibility may sustain the current performance feature costs.
Primary data stores provide scalable data models such as document-based and relational databases. These data models adopt data modeling tools and SQL implementations while ensuring data integrity. This efficient flexibility is a good choice for numerous processes.
Furthermore, auxiliary data stores can perform targeted processes that are not concrete general-purpose tools. They offer minimal data models and capabilities, delivering excellent performance in the specific domain. Auxiliary is often suggested when it is compatible with current application requirements; however, it is recommended that businesses adhere to primary data stores.
-
Database Working During Testing
The consolidation of database capabilities and features with an application is understood after real-world testing only. Establishing and assessing a prototype is a critical factor when choosing a database. Businesses must analyze the response time when the application sends real-time requests to the database, then determine how they process with the multiple operations and traffic it faces.
Also Read: Cybersecurity Priorities for CISOs in 2023
Security Challenges
-
Organizational Control and Latency Issues
Depreciating control over IT infrastructure is a significant issue with DBaaS. Businesses must gain power and coordinate over the servers, storage, and database management. They need to rely on cloud providers for efficient infrastructure management. When cloud providers encounter a system failure, businesses cannot access the database until the issue is addressed.
At the same time, the system is prone to latency due to DBaaS integration. Delays in interpreting business data over the Internet can result in issues in operations, especially during the execution of vast data volumes.
-
System Susceptibility and Vendor Lock-in
Despite the reliable security of the cloud infrastructure offered by the vendors, systems are not wholly immune to malicious attacks. Hosting vital data online increases the likeability of a data breach. Businesses must employ an elaborative cloud security policy and communicate it with all the application developers to address such severity. This prevents data breaches that often happen due to human errors.
Furthermore, switching the infrastructure to a different cloud service is challenging when businesses deal with a reliable provider. Therefore, companies must attentively assess the service structure of the respective DBaaS provider. This allows them to make amendments in the long term with minimal dependency freely.
-
Safety Issues
Organizations cannot directly control the database servers since a DBaaS provider monitors the security system. If businesses want to gain control, they must employ a collaborative cloud security responsibility model that enables businesses to influence crucial data security factors. More importantly, the cloud service vendor retains itself in charge of the database platform and supporting infrastructure monitoring.
For more such updates follow us on Google News ITsecuritywire News. Please subscribe to our Newsletter for more updates.
