Azure SQL Database Security

Securing your data in Azure SQL Database is a top priority. This section provides comprehensive guidance on the various security features and best practices to protect your sensitive information.

Note: Security is a shared responsibility. Azure provides the infrastructure and platform security, while you are responsible for securing your data and applications.

Key Security Areas

1. Network Security

Control access to your Azure SQL Database server and prevent unauthorized network access.

Firewall Rules: Configure IP address-based firewall rules to restrict access to your SQL Database server.
Virtual Network Service Endpoints: Securely connect your SQL Database to Azure Virtual Networks (VNets) using service endpoints, restricting access to only your VNet.
Private Link: Provide secure, private access to your Azure SQL Database from your VNet without exposing your data to the public internet.

Learn more about network security configurations.

2. Authentication and Authorization

Manage who can access your database and what actions they can perform.

SQL Authentication: Use SQL Server logins and users for authentication.
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Authentication: Leverage Azure AD for centralized identity management, enabling single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Use database roles and permissions to grant granular access to users and applications.

Explore authentication options and authorization best practices.

3. Data Encryption

Protect your data at rest and in transit.

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE): Encrypts your data files (data and log) at rest, ensuring that your data is not stored in clear text. TDE is enabled by default for new Azure SQL databases.
Always Encrypted: Protects sensitive data in the database from unauthorized access by encrypting it at the client-side and decrypting it only when needed by authorized applications.
SSL/TLS Encryption: Ensures secure connections between your application and the database, encrypting data in transit.

Understand the benefits of data encryption at rest and data encryption in transit.

4. Threat Protection

Detect and respond to advanced threats that could compromise your database.

Azure Defender for SQL: Provides unified security management and advanced threat protection capabilities across your SQL deployments, including Azure SQL Database.
Vulnerability Assessment: Identifies potential security vulnerabilities and deviations from best practices, such as weak passwords or misconfigurations.
Advanced Data Security (ADS): A unified package that includes Azure Defender for SQL and Vulnerability Assessment.

Learn more about Azure Defender for SQL and Vulnerability Assessment.

5. Auditing and Monitoring

Track database activities and audit events for security compliance and analysis.

SQL Server Audit: Configure audits to record database events and write them to an audit log in Azure Blob storage, Azure Files, or the local file system.
Azure Monitor: Collect and analyze telemetry data from your Azure SQL Database to gain insights into performance and security.

See how to implement database auditing.

Tip: Regularly review your security configurations and audit logs to ensure compliance and identify any suspicious activities.

Best Practices Summary

Always use Azure AD authentication for enhanced security and manageability.
Configure firewall rules and VNet service endpoints to restrict network access.
Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and consider Always Encrypted for sensitive data.
Deploy Azure Defender for SQL to proactively detect and respond to threats.
Implement robust auditing and monitoring to track database activities.
Apply the principle of least privilege when granting permissions.