Database security basics for a small business cover patching, off-site backups, strong logins, limited access, and encryption that works.
Database Roles: Give Permissions to Groups, Not People
Database roles let you grant permissions to a group once, then add and remove members as jobs change. This post covers the fixed roles and the risk of db_owner, shows how to create a custom role, and checks role membership and permissions with queries.
Logins and Users in SQL Server: Who Gets In and What They Can Do
Logins and users are two different things in SQL Server. A login gets a person or an application into the server, and a user gets them into one database. This post explains Windows and SQL authentication, how a login maps to a user, and how to check the mapping with a query.
Connecting to SQL Server From Home Without Exposing Port 1433
Keep port 1433 off the public internet by checking external reachability and using VPN, a jump host, Bastion, and trusted encryption.
UNMASK on One Column: Granting Unmasking in SQL Server 2022
Support needs phone numbers but not salaries. Here is how to unmask one column, and what that permission does not do.
Auditing WITH GRANT OPTION: Who Can Hand Out Permissions
Audit WITH GRANT OPTION at database and server scope, trace delegated permissions, and remove delegation with a reviewed CASCADE plan.
Masked Values: What Dynamic Data Masking Does Not Hide
A masked column shows zeros, but a user with SELECT can still filter, sort and guess the real values. Here is the proof and the fix.