Introducing sp_CheckSecurity
April 17, 2024
Are your SQL Servers secure? With new threats to your data emerging daily, it’s a difficult question to answer. And what is even included in the word “secure”? Sure, maybe you’re confident you have security against hacking (or maybe not?), but what about internal security? Are you protected against oops moments? Are there elevated permissions
Adding SQL Server Access When You’re Locked Out
August 29, 2023
As consultants we are sometimes asked the following question: “We have an old version of SQL that we can’t turn off and no one has access to it. Is there a way to create an account on a server you don’t have access to?” The answer is YES, and it isn’t as difficult as you
How UNsafe Is Your SQL Server? – Vulnerability Assessment and Access Audit
July 10, 2023
SQL Server is a repository of critical data, attracting potential threats from malicious individuals seeking financial gains. As a SQL Server DBA, it is essential to assess the security vulnerabilities of your SQL Server and perform an access audit to ensure the safety of your data SQL Server Vulnerability Scan I recommend you start with
18 Misconceptions: Your Database is [NOT] Secure!
March 7, 2023
Welcome to Myths and Misconceptions Month, or “Mythconceptions Month,” as we have lovingly referred to it in our internal discussions preparing this month’s content. We will have posts about the major Myths and Misconceptions we met as SQL Server DBA consultants. We hope you learn a lot from it! On to the content! Many companies
Security, Ransomware, and the DBA
July 19, 2022
I hope you joined us for our monthly webinar and team discussion about SQL Server Health Checks in June! Our web guy should have the recording for that and some other posts from it soon. Check it out! This month – on Thursday, 7/21/2022, we’ll be discussing Security and Ransomware. Why are we talking about
SQL Server Security Audits – A Confession
October 18, 2017
When clients need help, bugs require patching and production deadlines loom large, it’s easy to think that cutting a few corners is the “right thing” to do. I’ve done it, and I’m willing to bet that many of you have as well. Doing so puts the security of your company’s data at risk and makes
SQL Server Security Basics
February 15, 2017
This isn’t the complete guide to securing a SQL Server, but these are some of the more common things I bump into and wish I wouldn’t when it comes to SQL Server Security. Read these practices, understand them by searching the web or come here and ask me for questions or advice. If it means
Create Your Own SQL Server Server Roles
November 14, 2010
So you’ve heard the buzz by now – SQL Server Denali is now available in a Community Technology Preview. This was announced, released and handed out in DVD form at the SQL PASS Summit this past week. I just got the chance to install it and I played with one feature that I could see
Linked Server Query Running Slow?
July 8, 2010
Is your SQL Server Linked Server Query running slow? Check your permissions. Maybe this is old news to you but it wasn’t for me –> It was a good day. We had finally migrated onto brand new hardware (and saw a 250% improvement in run times of most warehouse jobs). I had finally cleaned up