May 16, 2023

Benefits of a Database Administrator for Holistic IT Environments The DBA role goes beyond overseeing group authorization or the management of data objects. May 16, 2023 Database administrators, or DBAs, are responsible for managing, creating, organizing and securing the data within a database or multiple databases. Yogesh Badwe, CSO, Druva, shares how the need for the DBA to ensure that an IT environment is holistically sound goes beyond items like overseeing group authorization or the management of data objects in a system. DBAs controlOpens a new window the centralization of data and the process in which the data is stored, secured, and accessed by the company as a whole. In order for IT management and other teams to reliably and securely access data to do their jobs, the DBA must resolve complex acute issues and implement stringent security measures that keep the database resolute, as well as ensure it is properly backed up in case something were to directly impact the database. How exactly does the DBA keep the system secure and the IT environment holistic, and how can performance across the IT sphere be optimized through the DBA? The Holistic IT Environment and the DBA The reason why DBAs are essential to holistic IT environments is that their role is directly related to how well the business can scale the architecture to meet its growing need for data – both in security and data management. For example, increasingly complex needs in data governance emerge as companies adopt architectures like hybrid cloud or multicloud to store customer and company data. Usage of this data by IT and developers doesn’t just require routine troubleshooting and maintenance for optimal performance; the DBA is necessary to establish the proper protocols for teams to access this data with minimal hiccups. For this to happen, the DBA must ensure that the operating system (OS) and database application are kept fully up to date and that any legacy software is addressed to minimize disruptions. The DBA must keep track of all vulnerabilities to ensure the process’s efficacy. For example, in an Oracle database, product defects or bugs identified by the DBA should be addressed with interim patches or individual patches released ahead of the official patch so that teams and customers can continue operations. The DBA can also automate the application of these patches for more efficient maintenance practices. When it comes to accessing and using data, authentication protocols are key to sound data governance, and maximizing both security and speed for data access is a priority for the business and the DBA. As the data distributor, DBAs use role-based administration to define users with set privileges that enable access to the data they need to fulfill their job’s responsibilities and nothing more. This concept, called least privilege, allows DBAs to assign super IDs to users and grant them special authorizations to access sensitive data for a particular task or need. As Druva’s CSO, Yogesh is responsible for overseeing all facets of Druva’s cybersecurity program and driving initiatives to help the company and its customers achieve cyber and data resilience. He is passionate about helping organizations secure their digital transformation journeys to the cloud.Yogesh brings 15 years of strong cybersecurity leadership experience to Druva, having held senior positions at high-growth organizations such as Okta, Salesforce, Orange Business Services and Global Telesystems Ltd. Most recently, Yogesh served as Senior Director of Information Security at Okta where he was instrumental in helping build and lead the security function through a period of significant business growth from $40M to $1.2B in ARR, and securing the company’s journey through a successful IPO in 2017. Do you still have questions? Head over to the Spiceworks Community to find answers.