How To Securely Manage Database Access for Remote Users

The best way to securely manage database access for remote users is by using a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution. PAM solutions provide full visibility and control over database access to prevent privilege misuse, reducing the likelihood of an insider threat harming your organization. Typically, organizations rely on VPNs to secure remote database access, but using a VPN alone does not provide enough security or access controls, increasing the chance of unauthorized access to organizational resources. 

Continue reading to learn more about securely managing database access and the best practices organizations should be following. 

The importance of securing remote database access

Securing remote database access is important because if it’s not secure, the size of an organization’s attack surface is increased. The larger an organization’s attack surface is, the more susceptible they are to becoming a victim of a successful cyber attack. Additionally, these databases contain proprietary company data and customers’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII), that if not secured properly, can lead to financial loss and reputational damage. Knowing who has access to these systems and when they’re accessing them is essential to prevent a security breach or insider attack.

Why VPNs are not enough to secure remote database access

While Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) were created to secure remote access to company resources, they weren’t designed to protect against the modern cyber threat landscape and increasingly distributed workforce. VPNs also don’t provide IT administrators with granular access controls to see who is accessing company resources and when they’re accessing them. This makes it extremely difficult for organizations to have visibility and control over privileged accounts. 

5 best practices for securely managing remote database access

Here are five best practices organizations need to follow to secure remote database access.

1. Implement a zero-trust security strategy

Zero trust is a security framework that follows three core principles: assume breach, verify explicitly and ensure least privilege. The concept of implementing a zero-trust security strategy is that implicit trust is eliminated, meaning every user and device is continuously and explicitly validated. By implementing a zero-trust security strategy, organizations can greatly reduce their risk of password-related cyber attacks and also prevent lateral movement throughout their network if a breach were to occur. 

2. Monitor and regularly audit privileged sessions

Monitoring and regularly auditing privileged sessions using Privileged Session Management (PSM) ensures that organizations are always aware of what’s happening on their network. PSM is a cybersecurity control in which companies record, monitor and control user sessions initiated by privileged accounts. PSM ensures that organizations have complete visibility and control over privileged access, which is critical to both data security and compliance.

3. Enforce the use of multi-factor authentication

Enforcing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on all organizational accounts and systems can significantly help to prevent unauthorized access. Organizations need to ensure that their employees are using MFA wherever possible by implementing enforcement policies. Enforcing MFA for remote access not only increases security but also helps meet regulatory and compliance requirements that mandate the use of MFA for privileged remote access. 

4. Apply granular access controls

Access control models like Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) provide IT administrators with a way to access network resources based on an employee’s role within an organization. The main goal of implementing RBAC is to ensure that employees only have access to the resources they need to do their jobs and not more. By implementing RBAC, or other types of access controls, organizations can significantly reduce the likelihood of suffering a data leak while also enhancing compliance. In the event an employee’s credentials are compromised, access control models can also prevent the threat actor from moving laterally throughout the organization’s network.  

5. Adopt SSO and password management

Inadequate password management can lead to unauthorized users gaining access to organizational resources. Adopting Single Sign-On (SSO) centralizes and streamlines the authentication process for accessing organizational resources. Adopting a password management solution gives IT administrators full visibility into employee password practices and who has login credentials to access specific resources. This gives administrators the ability to audit and revoke login credentials of employees who are given too many privileges or only need access to account credentials for a limited time. 

How PAM helps organizations secure remote database access

Privileged access management helps organizations secure remote database access by providing them with complete visibility, security, control and reporting capabilities across every user, on every device. Without a PAM solution in place, keeping track of remote database access is almost impossible due to the lack of control, visibility and reporting. 

Not all PAM solutions are created equally. The PAM solution your organization implements should be easy to deploy, follow a zero-trust security framework and integrate with your existing tech and IAM stack. 

Manage database access for remote users with KeeperPAM™

KeeperPAM combines Keeper Enterprise Password Manager (EPM), Keeper Secrets Manager (KSM) and Keeper Connection Manager (KCM) into one unified platform so organizations can protect their passwords, secrets and remote connections. 

Keeper Connection Manager eliminates the risk associated with using VPNs by allowing administrators to provide direct database access to MySQL, SQL Server and PostgreSQL. Other database types can be accessed via RDP, SSH, K8s, VNC and RemoteApp – all without having to share credentials. Access can be revoked at any time, and a robust audit trail identifies when and how the system was used. KCM is built on a foundation of zero-knowledge and zero-trust security, with granular access rules. Administrators can provide database administrators with access to the whole target system or just one component.

Curious to learn more about how KeeperPAM can help your organization securely manage database access for remote users? Request a demo today.