5 Ways to Ensure Document Databases Are Secure From Hackers
Data collection has become the cornerstone of all industries as information is used to improve their services. This ranges from clinical data management in healthcare, the foundation of medical advancements, to the data the IoT collects from our personal devices. Unfortunately, while data has become increasingly important in improving society, it has become an easy target for hackers. Cybercrime is among the most prevalent and disruptive issues facing many companies and individuals today. As more consumer data is held in business databases, they have become the prime target for many hackers. The “2023 Identity Fraud Study: The Butterfly Effect” from Javelin Strategy & Research found that identity fraud losses were worth $20 billion in 2022 and affected 15.4 million U.S. adults. This is why developers must ensure that their databases are secure. Today, document databases are widely used across industries because of their flexible schema, allowing the data model to change as an application’s requirements change. These document databases also have rich APIs and query languages that allow developers to interact with their data easily. With more companies investing in document databases to store consumer data, here are 5 ways developers can ensure they are secure from hackers.
Malware Protection
Malware software is specifically created to find vulnerabilities that can harm a database. Any system on which the document database is opened carries the threat of a malware attack, as malware can get in through any endpoint device connected to the database. Ensuring that the endpoints are protected with the latest malware protection will prevent malware from exploiting any vulnerabilities.
Privileged User Access Control to Reduce Human Error
A joint study by Stanford University Professor Jeff Hancock and security firm Tessian has found that employee mistakes caused 88% of data breach incidents. Hackers get into the document database through employees who can access it but are careless with security protocols. One way to secure this entry point from hackers is to limit who has access to either the entire database or certain parts. This can be done by using multi-factor authentication to confirm user identities, creating an extra layer of security. Administrators of the database should regularly monitor and audit user activities to detect and avert suspicious behavior.
Encryption
To ensure that even if a hacker were to break into a document database they wouldn’t be able to use the information, developers should encrypt the data. When data is in a database, it is either at rest or in transit. At rest means that the data is stored on a hard drive or cloud service, while any data in transit is data that is moving between systems or components. When data is at rest, encryption algorithms prevent hackers from accessing the information without the encryption keys. When in transit, developers should use protocols to create protected communication channels that encrypt data as it moves between the client and the document database server.
Validate User Input
Processes must be put in place to validate user inputs and prevent malicious input from reaching the database. This is known as a NoSQL injection attack, a weakness in which a hacker can affect the queries that an application makes to a NoSQL database. Input validation is the testing of an input received by the application, which is then measured against a standard defined within the application to ensure it is correct. To best secure the database from hackers, there should be validation at various stages, such as the client-side, the server-side, and the actual database.
Regularly Update Dependencies and Back Up Data
Hackers access databases through gaps in the systems, which are often caused by out-of-date software. Regularly updating the software will ensure that all security patches are current and will help address any vulnerabilities. Data breaches do happen, which is why developers must back up all data, preferably in an offsite location. By backing up your document database, you will be able to restart from scratch if there is a major breach that requires a complete overhaul.
A data breach can cause long-term damage, especially to brand reputation. If your company is using a document database, we hope the above tips prove useful.
