SQL Server 2005 security and best practices

Aug 15

Like me I bet a lot of you have started playing with SQL Server 2005 and found it to be a completely different beast than SQL Server 2000, especially if you are also getting to grips with the new management studio instead of Enterprise manager, which so far seems to be lacking a few features as far as I can tell ?Security is always an important factor when deploying databases and even more so in a shared environment, so here are a few useful articles to get you on track.

SQL Server 2005 Security Overview for Database Administrators
This paper covers some of the most important new security features in SQL Server 2005. It tells you how, as an administrator, you can install SQL Server securely and keep it that way even as applications and users make use of the data stored within.

Security Considerations for SQL Server
SQL Server 2005 includes a variety of highly precise, configurable security features that can empower administrators to implement defense-in-depth that is optimized for the specific security risks of their environment. Access guidance about password policy, surface-area configuration, credentials, authenticators, and more.

Security Considerations for Databases and Database Applications
The SQL Server 2005 Database Engine helps you protect data from unauthorized disclosure and tampering. Learn about highly granular authentication, authorization, and validation mechanisms; strong encryption; security context switching and impersonation; and integrated key management.

SQL Server 2005 Security Best Practices: Operational and Administrative Tasks
This white paper covers some of the operational and administrative tasks associated with SQL Server 2005 security and lists best practices and operational and administrative tasks that will result in a more secure SQL Server system.

Protect Sensitive Data Using Encryption in SQL Server 2005
SQL Server 2005 uses strong encryption to provide the best protection for data, a nearly inviolate barrier to exposure. Explore the encryption features in the core database engine of SQL Server 2005, and learn how they can be used to protect data stored there as well as how to allow user interaction with prtected data. Also discussed are the various keys used to protect both data and other keys within a database, and how to get information about encryption objects.