Databases | News

Oracle Database Firewall Adds MySQL Support, Reporting Improvements

• By Leila Meyer
• 01/13/12

Oracle has added support for MySQL Enterprise Edition in its Oracle Database Firewall, as well as new reporting capabilities for improved regulatory compliance.

According to a recent Data Security Survey by the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG), only 36 percent of respondents have made an effort to secure their applications against SQL injection attacks. Oracle added support for MySQL Enterprise Edition to help prevent SQL injection attacks and other unauthorized attempts to access database contents. MySQL database protection in Oracle Database Firewall does not require administrators to make any changes to existing applications, database infrastructure, or the operating system of the target database.

"Since most customers are at risk of SQL injection attacks, the Oracle Database Firewall provides much needed security," said Andy Flower, president of the IOUG. "Oracle Database Firewall is an example of the necessary first line of defense for large and small customers that can monitor database activity and block threats before they even reach the database."

This release of Oracle Database Firewall also includes a revamped reporting infrastructure for running and modifying the layout of existing reports. Numerous new prebuilt and customizable reports are intended to help organizations meet privacy and regulatory requirements.

Key features of Oracle Database Firewall include:

• Proxy operating mode for network deployments;
• Multi-core management capabilities for controlling resource allocation to protect specific databases;
• Integration with Oracle Advanced Security for monitoring encrypted traffic to Oracle Databases;
• Ability to block, substitute, alert and pass, or log unauthorized SQL statements;
• Out-of-band or in-line deployment with heterogeneous database environments;
• Optional host-based agents to monitor for unauthorized use of local console, keyboard, or remote sessions by privileged users; and
• Consolidation of heterogeneous database activity into a centralized database for reporting purposes.

Further information about Oracle Database Firewall is available on the Oracle site.