Understanding NoSQL Database Security

In today’s data-driven world, data security has become a top priority across businesses and industries. As detailed in a previous article, data breaches can hurt even big companies, so finding and fixing security gaps before they’re exploited is crucial.

This is why many companies look to get an ISO 27001 certificate, the top standard for info security, to prove to their customers that they take cyber security and data privacy seriously. 

Data breaches are becoming increasingly frequent and expensive, with the latest IBM Cost of Data Breach Report showing that the average cost of a data breach jumped to $4.88 million in 2024 from $4.45 million in 2023, a 10% spike.

This is why companies must understand the security of their chosen database. NoSQL databases are becoming increasingly popular due to their flexible schema and ability to hold large volumes of data, and understanding the security features is crucial for enterprises that use these databases. 

What is a NoSQL Database

A NoSQL database, known as ‘non-SQL, stores data in a non-tabular format compared to SQL databases, which store data in collections of tables and organize structured sets.

What makes NoSQL databases more flexible is that they come in a variety of formats based on their data model. The four most common NoSQL databases are document databases, key-value databases, wide-column stores, and graph databases.

A guide to NoSQL databases outlines how each format has different advantages. For example, graph databases could better analyze complex relationships and patterns between entities.

In contrast, document databases provide a more flexible, natural way of storing and retrieving large data volumes of similar types as documents. The choice of the database depends on the use case the user wants to develop. Most NoSQL databases are multi-model databases and will support more than one type of NoSQL data model.

Understanding NoSQL Security 

Even though each NoSQL database is different, they all need to be secured in a similar way to protect their data. Below are the key points that need to be understood.

Data at Rest vs. Data in Transit

Understanding how the data is stored and transferred in a NoSQL database is vital to securing it. An article on securing NoSQL databases explains how it’s vital to distinguish between data at rest and data in transit.

As per the article: “ Data at rest refers to data that is stored on disk or other media, while data in transit is data that is moving between systems or components.” Encryption is the best way to secure a NoSQL database when the data is at rest.

This means that if an attacker does get into the database, the data is indecipherable without the proper encryption keys. When the data is in transit, Secure Sockets Layer or Transport Layer Security protocols are vital to secure the data.

These protocols protect the communication channels and encrypt data as it travels between the client and the NoSQL database server, making the data transfer more secure. 

NoSQL Database Authentication and Authorization 

Restricting access to NoSQL databases through authentication and authorization is of the utmost importance for NoSQL security. Two of the most effective ways to authenticate a user are multifactor authentication, which requires additional login details sent to a different device, and Kerberos Protocol authentication, which verifies user identity and authenticates service requests across a network.

Both are essential for logging into the database on an insecure connection. Companies also need to understand the importance of authorizing access to certain parts of the NoSQL database.

Employee mistakes cause many database breaches, and one way to combat this is through Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). This lets the database administrators assign specific roles to users, with each role having defined permissions and access privileges. Strong passwords that are unique to individual users will also add a layer of protection. 

Auditing NoSQL Databases

Constantly auditing the NoSQL database allows the administrators to track access and operations performed on the database. This will alert them to any suspicious or unauthorized activities, identify security breaches, and ensure compliance with security policies.

One of the key benefits of a NoSQL database is its ability to scale to keep up with the user’s data demands. A regular audit will help notice any unusual activity that occurs after a database upgrade and allow the administrator to react quickly. 

NoSQL databases are vulnerable to a number of attacks, and it is only by understanding how to properly implement the right security measures that the database can be secure.