Andreas Wolter, SQL Server consultant and trainer, provides expert guidance on server security, high availability, and auditing, helping organizations protect and optimize their database environments.
76 articles from this blog
Announcing a full-day SQL Server performance monitoring and troubleshooting PreCon session at SQLSaturday NYC 2025, led by a former Microsoft PM.
SQL Server auditing fails to capture permission change attempts, creating a security gap. Article details the issue and a temporary workaround.
Analyzes challenges implementing the Principle of Least Privilege in Microsoft SQL Server, focusing on tasks that still require the powerful sysadmin role.
A technical guide comparing SQL Server data-at-rest encryption methods: Transparent Data Encryption, Backup Encryption, and Always Encrypted.
A technical guide on enforcing TLS 1.2 and trusted certificates for SQL Server connections to secure data in transit, covering FedRAMP compliance.
A guide to implementing fine-grained permissions for SQL Server Extended Events to enforce the Principle of Least Privilege with role separation examples.
A former Azure SQL security engineer outlines seven key improvements needed for access control and security in SQL Server and Azure SQL.
A former Microsoft Azure Data security Program Manager reflects on their role, the impact of improving SQL's permission system, and reasons for leaving.
Explains the security concept of Audit Trails in SQL Server, covering their purpose, implementation, and importance for incident response.
Explains the security principle of Separation of Privilege in IT systems, using examples from SQL Server, OpenSSH, and Azure AD MFA.
Explains delegation of authority in security, focusing on SQL Server and Azure AD, covering identity vs. authorization level delegation and practical examples.
Explains the 'Need-to-know' security principle for SQL Server and Azure SQL, detailing access control methods and implementation scenarios.
Explains the Principle of Least Privilege (POLP) for security in SQL Server, covering user permissions, service accounts, and attack surface reduction.
An introduction to core security principles like Separation of Duties for designing and assessing secure database systems.
Explains how to use DDL Triggers in SQL Server to log database schema changes for troubleshooting, contrasting it with formal SQL Auditing for security.
Explains the security risks of the SQL Server 'Trustworthy' database setting and how it can lead to sysadmin privilege escalation.
Analysis of a SQL Server blocking scenario where a failed update with missing permissions blocks an index rebuild, exploring lock incompatibility.
Announcing a 2018 Asia & Australia tour featuring a full-day SQL Server performance analysis workshop in Melbourne and tech talks on Azure SQL and Availability Groups.
A guide to using Extended Events (XEvents) for advanced tracing and diagnostics in Azure SQL Database, covering setup and specific use cases.
A survey asking readers about their patching status for the Meltdown and Spectre CPU security vulnerabilities, with results shared.
