windows authentication and security risk

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windows authentication and security risk

imgharavi-972335

SSC Rookie

Points: 29
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April 27, 2010 at 8:34 am

#219626

Hi everyone,
In my security senario, i have not to enable windows administrator access to my sql server because i could not make hardware security and with lots of free tools , administrator password could be reset and by this my database could be accessible.
On Sql 2000, i easily removed administrator access to my server in sql server and everything was fine but in sql 2008 , I forced to have administrator with sysadmin role to have SQL agent started and without it i could not have log shipping on my database.
is anybody has any suggestion to solve this issue?
Regards,
Iman

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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K. Brian Kelley SSC Guru Points: 114642 More actions · Answer 1

The key is to secure the server. If someone gains administrative control over the server, they have control of your SQL Server. You can't stop them. So I think you're going after the wrong goal.

K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley

imgharavi-972335 SSC Rookie Points: 29 More actions · Answer 2

Thank you Brian for your reply.

But as i described, I secured the server itself for normal persons but suppose a case which a stealing happen. we experienced a case which our customer server stealed by force and they did this to use server data. Hopefully i had encrypted their datafile with administrator password so password reset made data unaccessable.

does it mean that we could not secure a server from accessing its data without hardware security?

K. Brian Kelley SSC Guru Points: 114642 More actions · Answer 3

That is correct. And if it's on a domain (which is a better security option than, in most cases), there are additional attack vectors. Here's a short write-up on them:

Blog post: You pulled BUILTIN\Administrators, but are you auditing?

K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley

imgharavi-972335 SSC Rookie Points: 29 More actions · Answer 4

Thank you brian for description.

Is anybody else know how to have SQL Agent on without windows administrator access to SQL server in SQL2008?

K. Brian Kelley SSC Guru Points: 114642 More actions · Answer 5

Microsoft's recommendation in Books Online is that SQL Server Agent not be a member of the local Administrators group. However, it must be a member of the sysadmin fixed server role within SQL Server.

K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley

bluepaperbags SSCommitted Points: 1738 More actions · Answer 6

bluepaperbags

SSCommitted

Points: 1738

May 21, 2010 at 1:07 am

#1170616

u need a proxy.

K. Brian Kelley SSC Guru Points: 114642 More actions · Answer 7

securitypanda (5/21/2010)
u need a proxy.

Credentials are a better solution in SQL Server 2005/2008. They can be tightened down per actual login.

K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley