It can be tempting to give all employees full access to your database, but this is definitely something to avoid. The more people who have access to your data, the more at risk your data is. Just one mistake can cause you to give access to unauthorized users or those who have already left the company.
Today we are going to talk about the importance of restricting user access and privileges in order to maintain data integrity and security.
Your Role as a Database Admin: Managing User Permissions
Managing a database is more than entering in data and running queries. It also involves taking the appropriate security precautions and managing users who have access to your data. Whether your business is small or large, you likely have multiple people who will be regularly working with your data.
To protect your data, avoid giving users full access to your database. Instead, reserve root access to a few select people and then give the rest of the users their own unique permissions. One way you can do this is by creating a security architecture with a tiered and granular permission graph.
With this type of hierarchy, you’re able to give the necessary permissions to each user based on what they need to do their jobs. Even database administrators should be given varying levels of permissions. For example, you might want to give one admin full access to your database, while another admin will only have access to specific tables.
Again, users should only have access to the data they need to do their jobs. Otherwise, the integrity of your data is at risk.
What Can Happen if You Don’t Restrict Data?
Even if your data doesn’t seem to be sensitive, you should still protect it. Hackers only need a small amount of information to create havoc. Also, your business has to stay in compliance with the state and federal privacy laws. If you don’t, you could face hefty fines and a ding in your reputation.
Here are some of the things that can go wrong if you don’t limit user access:
- Accidental data exposure
- Data breaches due to negligence
- Users may see data they’re not supposed to
- Human error that can lead to database corruption
- Violation of privacy laws
Bottom line: Make sure you’re limiting and restricting user access to minimize potential misuse. Your employees only need enough privileges to do their jobs effectively.
If you need help setting up appropriate user limitations for your database, contact Arkware today. Part of being a database expert is making sure our clients’ databases are safe and secure!