Azure SQL Database Security

Overview of Azure SQL Database Security

Azure SQL Database provides a comprehensive set of security features to protect your data and applications. This article provides an overview of the key security capabilities available, covering network, authentication, authorization, data protection, and threat detection.

Azure SQL Database Security Overview Diagram

Network Security

Securing network access to your Azure SQL Database is the first line of defense. Azure SQL Database offers several options:

Firewall rules: Control access at the server or database level, allowing only specific IP addresses or ranges.
Virtual Network (VNet) service endpoints: Restrict access to your database from specific subnets within an Azure Virtual Network.
Private Link: Establish a secure, private connection from your VNet to your Azure SQL Database using a private endpoint.
SSL/TLS encryption: Ensure that all connections to your database are encrypted in transit.

Authentication and Authorization

Controlling who can access your database and what they can do is crucial. Azure SQL Database supports:

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication: Centralize identity management by authenticating users and applications using Azure AD identities. This includes support for multi-factor authentication (MFA).
SQL authentication: Use traditional username and password-based authentication.
Role-based access control (RBAC): Assign permissions to users and applications using built-in or custom roles.

Note: Azure AD authentication is generally recommended for enhanced security and easier management.

Data Protection

Azure SQL Database offers robust features to protect your data at rest and in transit:

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE): Encrypts data files and transaction logs at rest automatically, without application changes.
Always Encrypted: Protects sensitive data at rest by encrypting it within the database. The encryption keys are managed by the client application, and SQL Database never sees the plaintext data.
Dynamic Data Masking: Obfuscates sensitive data in query results for non-privileged users, reducing direct data exposure.
Data Discovery & Classification: Identify, classify, and label sensitive data in your database to help manage security and compliance.

Threat Detection and Auditing

Monitor and detect suspicious activities to protect your database from threats:

Azure Defender for SQL: Provides advanced threat protection capabilities, including vulnerability assessment and anomaly detection.
Auditing: Track database events and write them to an audit log in Azure Blob Storage, Azure Log Analytics, or Azure Event Hubs.

Important: Regularly review audit logs and threat detection alerts to ensure the security posture of your database.

Best Practices

To maximize the security of your Azure SQL Database, consider the following best practices:

Implement the principle of least privilege.
Use Azure AD authentication and MFA whenever possible.
Configure firewall rules and VNet service endpoints appropriately.
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) or Always Encrypted for sensitive data.
Set up Azure Defender for SQL and configure auditing.
Regularly assess and update your security configurations.