Oracle is one of the best providers of cloud infrastructure and web applications. It has robust security with discretionary access control, schemas, and security domains that restrict who can enter the database. As with any application, however, how secure your Oracle database is will depend on the measures your IT team develops to keep it safe from attacks.

Company databases will always be an attractive target for hackers because of the sensitive data they provide. Threats continue to evolve, breaching big and small businesses. The operational disruption, reputation damage, and data recovery efforts these threats cause can cost a business an average $8.19 million.

Best Security Practices

The big costs associated with cyber-attacks are enough to close down a small to medium-sized business. As such, your cybersecurity team should enforce the best Oracle database security practices when protecting your database.

Keep Your Platforms Up to Date

Patches to the database management system don’t only provide bug fixes, they also come with security updates. Some updates may take some time to download and implement, but they’re vital in keeping your system safe. It takes as little as two hours for cybercriminals to start capitalizing on a weak spot after it’s discovered. As such, you should install these patches immediately to minimize vulnerabilities.

Manage Your Passwords Properly

Some employees may keep default passwords or use weak ones out of convenience. However, these can be easy to guess or brute force using a program, allowing attackers to gain access to your system disgusted as a regular employee.

Your workers need to create stronger passwords with different capitalization, letter, number, and symbol combinations. And enforce a rule to change them at least once a year. Your system should also come with an account lockout feature. This lets you delay and identify users that may be forcing their way into your database.

Monitor Database Activity

Cybercriminals continue to become more proficient in hiding their tracks. As such, it’s important to consistently track your database activity, which comes with the management tool you use. If it can be integrated with your Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) software, set it up immediately to allow your SIEM to analyze your database’s logs for threats. This way, you can catch threats and deal with them as soon as possible.

Add an Extra Layer of Protection

Some of your business data may contain sensitive information, like employee social security numbers or customer credit card numbers. Oracle adds an extra layer of security to them through its Transparent Sensitive Data Protection utility. It’s a great tool that allows you to redact sensitive information from unauthorized users.

Educate Employees About Basic Cybersecurity Practices

Over 94% of malware comes from email attachments. When it comes to social engineering attacks, over 80% can be attributed to phishing. Phishing involves creating a fraudulent email or website that tricks users into providing their sensitive information. These tactics exploit people with little to no cybersecurity knowledge.

Arrange a company-wide seminar on cybersecurity. This way, your employees know which messages to avoid and to be more careful about the ads and websites they encounter on their work computers.

Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly common for companies of different sizes. And the costs that come with them may force you to go out of business.

Your database is one of the most attractive targets for attackers. As such, follow this checklist of best security practices for Oracle databases. The extra time, money, and effort you spend on implementing these methods are worth it once you mitigate a potentially disastrous threat.

Secure and Streamline Your Oracle Implementation Process

When you need help implementing Oracle’s business software, consult with eVerge Group. We provide teams of top-tier consultants that help you plan, implement, and deploy on-premise, cloud, and hybrid enterprise solutions. We provide genuine and secure programs that streamline your business processes.

Email us today.