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RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

rguier 61805 — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:11:47 GMT

DIAB (DBAinABox) from diabsqlsoftware.com has built in SOX tools to alert you if permissions have been altered. it does this without using a trace or inserting any objects on the sever / database being monitored. It is not a 100% solution to your question but it will keep SOX auditors happy and is inexpensive.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

roger.price-1150775 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:19:20 GMT

Check out Teleran. They have products that can collect information by setting itself up as a proxy and sniffing requests and results. This means zero impact on the sql server being audited. It can parse the sql and give you object level information too. It can also operate as a gatekeeper and stop certain commands, users, etc... even if they are dbowners and the like.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Joseph Mulhall — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 04:16:00 GMT

"Our mandate is to monitor the DBA's and other accounts with Admin and Owner rights and privleges."There is no native way of doing this - by nature the sysadmins can do anything they want with SQL Server, so their is little or no point in using SQL Server to monitor them.Indeed, any system for which I have full-control requires an external factor for logging and monitoring.The only sure fire way to control, log and audit access is by abstracting DBA work through a third-party management tool; be this an enterprise manager replacement or a remote console with keystroke logging.Again - how does this address SOX? SOX was created to prevent fraud. Is fraud going to be committed by a sysadmin editing an entry in field in a table, or is it going to be by accountants diverting funds into a variety of accounts?Move upwards a level - what is the application you're looking at? What does it do? How is user access *within the application* granted, logged and monitored? If the users can freely change stuff in the application, what has database security got to do with it?

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Joseph Mulhall — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 04:08:00 GMT

Just for continuities sake, I don't see anyone here describing requirements, I see them offering solution (or solutionizing in management speak )Most people are talking about auditing access to SQL server - how does that help if all access is through a single account? How does that help you identify unauthorised changes to your data? How does that help prevent fraud?I put it to you that you, and in my experience the auditors as well, are assuming that by 'logging everything' you have achieved something useful and/or complian with SOX.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

calvin nguyen-255465 — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 17:39:00 GMT

My company just went through PCI audit and we use Idera Sql Compliance, Lumigent was too expensive for us. The SQL Compliance Manager satisfied the auditors requirements which log all access to the server/databases and log all activities (select, insert, update,...) to database and it cost us $1495 for the license.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

devereauxj — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:14:00 GMT

My company needed a solution to watch activity and logging on SQL Server Databases and Oracle databases. Many of the items needed in Oracle were already there with a job and couple triggers along with the built in Auditing. It passes SOX scrutiny, but now SQL had to show the same. (btw: the budget for this was axed, we gave management a 165K purchased solution : current budget, my time as DBA, full salary...so it does not matter how many hours)

Anyway. I came up with a multi-part solution that has satisfied the auditors for now. Any person with real IT experience will see wholes big enought to drive a mack truck through it, but like I said, it was to suffice the auditors.

First I used created my own audit trace. I narrowed down the events to what we wanted to track and the information we wanted to store. If the sql server stops/starts it automatically starts again. The records are processsed twice a day from the flat files into a database table. From there I wrote procedures/views to process the data I need to report on. I crossed the view with a rules table to kick out records that need to be shown on the report. I then set up SSRS (sql server reporting services) 2005 to generate the report. Each morning the report is generated along with the rules, so auditors can compare the rules (ever changing) with the report. I send a copy to the server and email the affected parties, directing them to look at the report. If your name shows up, you have to initial the report, put in a comment. The report is printed by IS security, and people on the report have to initial with pen.

Lots of holes, some good infor came from it, and it got SOX auditors off our back. Until next quarter at least.

joe

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Peldin Fernandes — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 10:04:00 GMT

Check BizRights From approva Systems. www.approva.net the leading provider of enterprise controls management software. its the True Cross-Platform Continuous Controls Compliance Software. for any ERP PeopleSoft, Oracle, SAP .

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

devereauxj — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 06:39:00 GMT

We are looking at Lumigent. We are a utility company and have to comply with SOX. The problem we have is that we use Tivoli by IBM and a tape robot to do backups. The log files go directly to tape and we can't get them back.

Our mandate is to monitor the DBA's and other accounts with Admin and Owner rights and privleges.

Even with those aside, we have been able to get around much of the Lumigent monitoring as DBA. I am no hacker and not very good at, but was able to spoof it so those doing the queries and running report did not pick up on my changes.

Now, all mute point because of it need log backups.

Any other products that can read the log and db files live and do the same type of thing?

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Curtis M — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 12:55:00 GMT

At one point I was looking into LogPI (www.logpi.com) but they have since been bought out by a company called Goldengate. I am not getting much feedback from them. I am wondering if anyone out here has any more info on LogPI or Goldengate? Thanks.

Curtis

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Linda Johanning — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 08:57:00 GMT

I need something that doesn't add tables or triggers to the database being audited. I prefer something that doesn't use trace procedures due to performance, but would consider it. The main area of concern is auditing users connecting to databases with 'outside' applications like Access, Excel, Query Analyzer, etc. and removing certain ODBC sources is out of the question. I also need to monitor at least 10 of the SQL servers so price is also a consideration. I am currently looking at Apex SQL Log which uses live transaction logs or T-log backups, but of course the database has to be in full recovery mode--and I'm not through testing yet. Any suggestions are welcomed :-)

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Joseph Mulhall — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 08:46:00 GMT

You've read the thread; so what are your auditing and security requirements?If you think there's a piece of software that has the solution, you've failed to understand the problem.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Linda Johanning — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:40:00 GMT

We're also looking for an auditing application because running Profiler adds too much overhead. I found Apex SQL Audit and have downloaded it, but haven't done any testing. I also haven't tested the other two products mention although I've downloaded them. So far, I'm not too impressed about what I've read on various products. Have you checked out DBGhost? Has anyone found a 3rd party product that they would recommend?

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Mike-263299 — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 07:55:00 GMT

Joseph: Yeah, I was very surprised at how little Lumigent did...I thought the auditing was at a much different level, but from what the sales guy said I wasn't impressed and agree that you can do it with native tools for the most part.

As to our goals...It's an enterprise wide issue. We have HIPPA and PCI regulations that we need to follow as well as SOX, etc. The DB monitoring is just one piece to the puzzle.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Joseph Mulhall — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 07:25:00 GMT

You an achieve virtually any audit requirement with native tools; make sure what your requirements are before you get the checque book out.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

David Brountas — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 14:02:00 GMT

This depends solely on the type of business you are in. I am curious as to the level of auditing as well. Can you clarify the goals you are looking to accomplish?

Is this specifically a SQL security project or are you looking for a full level security audit which might include infrastructure assessments, server and router hardening etc.

David.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Mike-263299 — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:43:00 GMT

We're looking at Lumigent's AuditDB solution right now...

http://www.lumigent.com/products/auditdb_sql.html

Might want to check it out...

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Carl Federl — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 12:23:00 GMT

What do you mean by an Security Auditing solution ?Some possibilites include:Process and procedures to managing SQL Server Security rights such as creating logins, changing passwords, granting roles, etc.Tracking security activity on the SQL server such as login successes and login failures.Tracking environmental changes such as changes to tables, views, stored procedures, etc.

RE: Looking for Security Auditing solution

Erich Brinker — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 08:40:00 GMT

I know there is something from Idera called SQL Compliance Manager that is designed for meeting SOX requirements. It is around 975.00 per server and will hit for a 5%(according to their sales folks) rise in CPU processing.

Looking for Security Auditing solution

Site Owners — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 08:00:00 GMT

No one has responded to this topic yet. Even if you don't have a complete answer, the original poster will appreciate any thoughts you have!

Looking for Security Auditing solution

Jack Henry — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 14:02:00 GMT

I am looking for a security auditing solution. Any feedback on 3rd party vendors that supply these solutions?

Thanks,

Jack