This tutorial guides you through the process of enabling and configuring Threat Detection for your Azure SQL Database, a crucial feature for identifying and responding to potential security threats.
Azure SQL Database Threat Detection provides a centralized solution for detecting and responding to unwanted activities that may indicate a potential threat to your database. It detects anomalous database activities, such as suspicious queries, unusual access patterns, and potential data breaches. When suspicious activity is detected, you are alerted with details about the threat and recommendations on how to investigate and mitigate it.
Log in to the Azure portal. In the search bar at the top, type "SQL databases" and select "SQL databases" from the results. Click on the specific database you want to configure.
In the left-hand navigation menu of your SQL database overview page, scroll down to the "Security" section and click on "Advanced Data Security".
On the "Advanced Data Security" blade, under the "Threat Detection" section, toggle the switch to "On".
This action enables the core threat detection capabilities. You will also see options to configure "Vulnerability Assessment" here, which is often enabled alongside Threat Detection.
Once Threat Detection is enabled, you can configure email notifications. Click on the "Email to" field and enter the email addresses of the security administrators or relevant personnel who should be notified of threats.
You can also specify whether to send notifications to subscription owners.
Click the "Save" button at the top of the "Advanced Data Security" blade to apply your configuration changes.
Once Threat Detection is enabled, Azure SQL Database will continuously monitor your database for suspicious activities. When a potential threat is identified, an alert will be generated. These alerts can be viewed in several ways:
A typical alert will include:
Threat Detection is part of the Advanced Data Security suite. Enabling it provides a significant layer of protection by proactively identifying and alerting you to potential security breaches. Regularly review alerts and take appropriate action to maintain the security posture of your Azure SQL Database.
After enabling Threat Detection, consider integrating these alerts with other Azure security services like Azure Sentinel for centralized security information and event management (SIEM) and automated response.