Databases contain structured data, in a standard format, that can be highly sensitive like personal identifiers, health information, and payment information. Organizations storing data for a long time and/or adding to legacy databases may not know where all sensitive data resides or be able to keep database protection up to date. In addition, regulations and privacy laws have been rapidly changing. New laws and regulations mandate the restriction of data access, reporting on potential breaches, and the status of who can access sensitive data. Security teams are expected to deliver secure databases that also comply with the latest regulatory expectations, creating the need for tools to enable them.

Database Security solutions can deliver automation for activities that teams have been handling manually. Through discovery scanning, supported databases and the sensitive data they contain can be identified. Organizations can apply rights management to databases to ensure that only authorized employees have access to the information they contain. Through activity monitoring, organizations can block actions, as well as get alerts, and address potential incidents. To ensure that databases are secure and optimized, automated scanning can also detect vulnerabilities, gaps in security, misconfigurations, and other performance issues.

Insider risk has to be considered a top threat. The rise in data breaches from attackers that target insiders especially threatens the sensitive information in databases, since attackers are seeking out these target-rich environments. Additionally, regulations and compliance are top concerns among Information Management, Technology, and Security teams who collaborate in Database Security support. Organizations are also experiencing an expanding information footprint across Database Security support. This footprint includes everything from aging databases on older servers to databases acquired through mergers, to databases that have simply gotten enormous through the addition of information over the years.

One of the biggest benefits of virtual patching is that it can provide extra security to databases with both known and unknown vulnerabilities and requires no downtime. Trellix uses threat intelligence to support virtual patching, and for those teams with legacy applications, this functionality can provide extra peace of mind.