What's the issue?
The TDE certificate has not been backed up recently.
Why is this a problem?
You need the TDE certificate to be able to restore a backup of a database that has TDE enabled. If you have made a backup of the certificate but the expiration date has passed then we classify this finding as level 3, "Potential- review recommended" since even expired certificates can be used to restore backups of encrypted databases.
What should you do about this?
If you have any databases encrypted by TDE, make sure you have copies of the current encryption keys and certificates stored securely in case you need to restore any database backups.
Vulnerability
Category
What do the Vulnerability Levels mean?
0 - Information only. This is stuff you should know about your instances like version and service account used, but if you don't know it…well, now you do.
1 - High vulnerability requiring action. These are the issues that could most likely lead to your company being front page news for all the wrong reasons. If your instances have any results at this level then we recommend cancelling that 3-martini lunch and instead huddling with your team to figure out when to address these issues.
2 - High vulnerability to review. These include settings and assigned permissions you should review soon, if not immediately. These findings may not necessarily indicate a clear vulnerability, but we've found unexpected vulnerabilities in these categories at many, many clients.
3 - Potential vulnerability to review. These are configurations or assigned permissions you may be using that could lead to problems for users. Or maybe they're just required for your applications. Either way, we recommend reviewing these to make sure these are correct.
4 – Low vulnerability with recommended action. These are typically security inconsistencies that should be addressed. They aren't likely to cause problems, but you should clean up the mess.