SECURING7 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN

YOUR REAL ESTATE DATA

59%The percentage of employees

who steal proprietary corporatedata when they quit or are fired

In today’s world, the risks associated with inadequate data securityis a business critical concern.

Data leaks pose major security concerns and can have devastatingimplications.

Based on our extensive experience in the Real Estate industry wehave compiled a list of 7 things you should be thinking of to ensureyour data security.

#1PHYSICAL SECURITY

Physical breaches can take on such asunauthorised individuals gaining access to the physical sever itself; into the office network;or individuals using an unattended employee workstation to accessthe

various forms

individuals connecting their own devices

company network.

#2NETWORK SECURITY

how your database server reside topology. Is it directly accessible publically; is it isolated fromexternal facing application servers; are communications to/fromitself and is a firewall being used torestrict communications.

within the network

using SSL for data exchange

Understand

2014data breaches increased by

over 27.5% from 2013

In

#3SERVER CONFIGURATION

. Is the SQL instancediscoverable on the network; are the SQL services using a ; are unnecessary services disabled; is theSQL administrator account (sa) disabled and which authenticationmethods are used, Windows,

Know your server configuration

non-standard port

SQL or both.

#4PASSWORDS

can severely compromise your data. Ensurepassword complexity is configured; be sure to enforce the use of and within applications, passwords instead of storing them in plain text.

Weak passwords

password complexity encrypt

75%of people use the samepassword for multiple

accounts

#5SQL INJECTION

can bring systems to their knees. Ensureabsolute minimum privileges are granted to application accounts;restrict inter-application access when sharing a database server; and where possible, parameterizeapplication input values.

SQL injection attacks

encrypt sensitive data

#6DATABASE BACKUPS

Database backup security is often overlooked, but vital. are adequately secured; useencryption when performing backups and be sure

to restrict accesslocal/remote backup locations

Ensure

to certificates/keys used by encryption processes.

#7PATCHING

, if left unresolved can be exploited. Staycurrent, ensuring critical operating system updates are applied regularly;ensure database server software is regularly updated independently andwhere feasible

Known vulnerabilities

enable automatic updates.

Securing your data requires one to think beyond just the immediatescope of the database server in order to ensure data securitycontinuity.

The management of data security is a process requiring continualreview. After all, can you afford not to ensure the safety of yourdata?

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ReferenceCherry, Denny. (2012) Securing SQL Server: Protecting

your Database from Attackers, 2nd edition

By Craig Rynhoud