The permissions I have in SQL Server depend on my database and security context. These read-only queries, tested with a loginless user, a role and a column DENY, separate database, server and object checks and show which grant supplied each permission.
Granular Server Roles: ##MS_ServerStateReader## and Friends
Assign granular server roles in SQL Server 2022, inspect membership, and give monitoring accounts the state access their queries need.
Auditing Failed Logins With the Error Log and Extended Events
Investigate failed logins with the SQL Server error log and a focused Extended Events session, then group attempts and decide what to do.
Database Security Basics for a Small Business
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.