Oracle Database Vault – DBA Best Practices


Oracle Database Vault – DBA Best PracticesKamal Tbeileh, Sr. Principal Product Manager, Database SecurityChi Ching Chui, Sr. Development Manager, Database Security


Program Agenda

• Oracle Database Vault – Overview• Managing Database Users and Security• Controlling Sensitive Database Operations


Program Agenda



Oracle Database VaultPrivileged User Controls

Procurement

HR

Finance

Application DBA

select * from finance.customers DBA

Application

• Enforce who, where, when, and how data can be accessed using rules and factors• Enforce least privilege and prevent privileged users from accessing apps data• Prevent application by-pass and enforce enterprise data governance• Restrict ad hoc database changes


Impact on Database Operations

Administration Task Oracle Database Vault Control?

Comments

Startup, shutdown No

Creating databases No

Cloning databases No

Configuring DB network connectivity No

Managing initialization parameters Yes ALTER SYSTEM Command Rule protects some parameters

Scheduling database jobs on protected schemas

Yes Oracle Database Vault authorization is needed


Program Agenda



Managing Database Users

• Oracle Database Vault Creates an Accounts Administrator in the database with the DV_ACCTMGR role

• Responsible for creating new users and profiles and managing existing ones

• Can grant the CONNECT role to users• Can change password for all users except for Security Admins• As a best practice, customer should create personalized

accounts for Accounts Admins

Database Accounts Administrator



• Oracle Database Vault creates a Security Administrator in the database with the DV_OWNER role

• Manages creation of protection policies including Realms and Command Rules

• Does not have access to data• Manages his/her own password • As a best practice, customer should create personalized

accounts for Security Admins

Database Security Administrator


Managing Database Users and Security

Security Admin

Accounts Admin

Junior DBA

Senior DBA

Backup Patch Install

TuningRecovery Managing DBAs

Create Security Policies to protect data

Create and manage Database Users

Application user



• Oracle Database Vault allows customers to control DBA actions– Distinguish between Senior and Junior DBAs– Distinguish between in-house DBA and outsourced or off-shored DBA

• Senior DBA is a user who:– Has been granted system privileges and roles with ADMIN OPTION– Has been authorized as OWNER to the Oracle Data Dictionary realm– Can grant system privileges to new users

• Junior DBA, outsourced DBA, or off-shored DBA can be controlled on what he/she can or cannot do

Senior DBAs and Junior DBAs



• In a small organization where customers have a single DBA – The same person will be handling multiple tasks

• As a best practice, customer should– Create separate dedicated accounts for different responsibilities like:

DBA_DEBRA, ACCTS_ADMIN_DEBRA, SEC_ADMIN_DEBRA– Lock default accounts including Database Vault default accounts

• This allows customer to:– Prevent compromised privileged accounts from accessing application data– Track each account’s actions for auditing and compliance

For Small IT Organization



• In a medium size organization with a handful of DBAs– DBAs will be multi-tasking and one senior DBA will be a db Security Admin– Customer might be outsourcing some IT operations

• As a best practice, customer should– Create separate dedicated accounts for different responsibilities– Lock default accounts

• This allows customer to:– Prevent compromised privileged accounts from accessing application data– Outsource some IT operations and control outsourced DBAs actions– Protect the database from unauthorized changes

For Medium Size IT Organizations



• For large customers– Dedicated staff can be assigned to database security– Customer has contractors and may be doing some outsourcing / off-shoring

• As a best practice, customer should– Create separate dedicated accounts– Lock default accounts

• This helps customer:– Prevent hackers from accessing application data– Control what junior DBAs, outsourced DBAs, or off-shored DBAs can do– Protect the database from unauthorized changes

For Large IT Organizations



• Cloud services provider– Can delegate Security Administration and Accounts Administration to

customers so they manage who can access their data– Provider’s own security staff can be given access in emergency

• As a best practice, cloud services provider should– Create separate dedicated accounts for customers and own staff– Lock default accounts

• This helps cloud services provider:– Improve SLA when it comes to security– Empower end customers and give them final say on who can access data

For SAAS and Cloud Services Providers


Managing Database Users and SecurityIT Organization Separation of Duty

• Develop and communicate security policies

• Conduct internal audits with the security group

• Work with external auditors

• Work with the security team to remedy any audit finding

• Provision new users• Assign roles and

responsibilities• De-provision users

who leave the company

• Manage Database accounts

• Manage passwords for default accounts

• Manage Oracle Database Vault Realms and Command rules

• Review security reports• Work with business

owners to authorize exceptions and monitoring

• Work with Information Security on internal audits

• Backup• Tuning• Patching and upgrade• Replication and High

Availability• Work with security

and data owners for emergency access

• Develop new applications

• Maintain existing applications

• Provide patches to DBAs to apply on production

• Test applications and patches with Oracle Database Vault

Information SecurityManagement

User Provisioning

Database Administration

Database Security

Development QA

Company CIO


Program Agenda


– Changing Init Parameters– Job Scheduling– Oracle Data Pump– Oracle Streams– Oracle Data Guard– Explain Plan, Analyze Table– Database Patching


Controlling Changes to DB Init Parameters

• Created by default when Oracle Database Vault is installed• Prevents changes to DB parameters related to security, audit,

and file locations– This tightens the security of the database

• As a best Practice, Users or roles who should be authorized to change these init parameters, need to be: – Granted the ALTER SYSTEM privilege – Added to the “Allow Fine Grained Control of System Parameters”

Rule Set

ALTER SYSTEM Command Rule


Controlling Changes to DB Init ParametersAuthorizing a DBA to Change Parameters Example


Controlling Database Job Scheduling

• To schedule database jobs, DBA needs privileges like:– CREATE JOB, CREATE ANY JOB, MANAGE SCHEDULER

• Security Administrator needs to authorize DBA to be able to schedule jobs on realm protected schemas

• Authorization can be granted on the entire database or on a schema or table level

• Authorization can be revoked from the user once done


Controlling Database Job SchedulingBest Practice Example


Controlling Oracle Data Pump

• DBA needs to be granted EXP_FULL_DATABASE / IMP_FULL_DATABASE roles

• For realm-protected data, more authorization is needed:– Security Administrator can give authorization on a specific

database object, a whole schema, or on the entire database– To export / import the whole database, user needs to be granted

DV_OWNER role for the duration of the operation

• Data Pump authorization should be revoked once export / import is done

Best Practices


Controlling Oracle Data PumpBest Practices Example


Controlling Oracle Streams

• To replicate realm-protected data using Oracle Streams grant DV_STREAMS_ADMIN role to the user who manages it

Best Practices


Oracle Data Guard

• For Oracle Active Data Guard and Oracle Data Guard Physical Standby:– install Oracle Database Vault software on primary database and

all standby databases– Follow Oracle support note 754065.1 instructions

• Oracle Data Guard Logical Standby is not currently supported with Oracle Database Vault

Best Practices


Running EXPLAIN PLAN

• DBA can run EXPLAIN PLAN on realm-protected tables without having Realm authorization or access to apps data

• PLAN_TABLE should be created in– DBA’s own schema– Or in a schema where the DBA has INSERT and SELECT

privileges to the table

Best Practice


Running EXPLAIN PLANBest Practice Example


Running ANALYZE TABLEBest Practice• DBA can run ANALYZE TABLE on realm-protected tables

without having Realm authorization or access to apps data • CHAINED_ROWS table should be created in

– DBA’s own schema– Or in a schema where the DBA has INSERT and SELECT

privileges to the table


Running ANALYZE TABLEBest Practice Example


• Grant DV_PATCH_ADMIN role to user doing database patching – SYS user typically

• Protection for apps data remains in effect during patching• Revoke DV_PATCH_ADMIN role once patching is done

Best PracticesDatabase Patching


Best Practices ExampleDatabase Patching


Oracle Database Vault – DBA Best Practices

• Oracle Technology Network linkoracle.com/technetwork/database/options/database-vault/index.html

– Download white papers and watch demos– Download protection policies for Applications

• PeopleSoft, Siebel, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne and more

– Download information on SAP certification

Additional Resources


T I M E T I T L E L O C AT I O N

9:00 am – 10:00 am Hands-On Lab: Oracle Audit Vault (29964)Tammy Bednar, Sr. Principal Product Manager, Oracle

Marriott MarquisRoom: Salon 12/13

9:00 am – 10:00 amSession: Improving Your Security Posture (13220)Bruce Lowenthal, Director of Security Alerts, OracleEric Maurice, Director of Software Security Assurance, Oracle

Moscone SouthRoom: 300

10:30 am – 11:30 amOracle Exadata: Enabling Research at Merck (9687) Michael Tucker Database Administrator, Merck, Inc Vinoy Lanjwal Database Administrator, Merck, Inc


12:00 pm – 1:00 pmHands-On Lab: Oracle Database Vault (29962)Kamal Tbeileh, Sr. Principal Product Manager, OracleKen Zeng, Sr. Business Development Director, Oracle

Marriott MarquisRoom: Salon 12/13

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Session: All About Oracle Database Security (14123)Thomas Kyte, Architect, Oracle


3:00 am – 4:00 pm Session: Oracle Database Security Performance: Best Practices (13600)Kurt Lysy, Principal Product Manager, Oracle


Oracle Open World – Thursday, October 6


Q&A


Latin America 2011December 6–8, 2011

Tokyo 2012April 4–6, 2012


Oracle OpenWorld Bookstore

• Visit the Oracle OpenWorld Bookstore for a fabulous selection of books on many of the conference topics and more!

• Bookstore located at Moscone West, Level 2• All Books at 20% Discount


Oracle Products Available Online

Oracle Store

Buy Oracle license and support online today atoracle.com/store

Oracle Database Vault – DBA Best Practices

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