Database Security Database security has many different layers, but the key aspects are: Authentication User authentication is to make sure that the person accessing the database is who he claims to be. Authentication can be done at the operating system level or even the database level itself. Many aRead more
Database Security Database security has many different layers, but the key aspects are:
Authentication
User authentication is to make sure that the person accessing the database is who he claims to be. Authentication can be done at the operating system level or even the database level itself. Many authentication systems such as retina scanners or bio-metrics are used to make sure unauthorized people cannot access the database.
Authorization
Authorization is a privilege provided by the Database Administer. Users of the database can only view the contents they are authorized to view. The rest of the database is out of bounds to them.
The different permissions for authorizations available are:
- Primary Permission – This is granted to users publicly and directly.
- Secondary Permission – This is granted to groups and automatically awarded to a user if he is a member of the group.
- Public Permission – This is publicly granted to all the users.
- Context sensitive permission – This is related to sensitive content and only granted to a select users.
The categories of authorization that can be given to users are:
- System Administrator – This is the highest administrative authorization for a user. Users with this authorization can also execute some database administrator commands such as restore or upgrade a database.
- System Control – This is the highest control authorization for a user. This allows maintenance operations on the database but not direct access to data.
- System Maintenance – This is the lower level of system control authority. It also allows users to maintain the database but within a database manager instance.
- System Monitor – Using this authority, the user can monitor the database and take snapshots of it.
Database Integrity
Data integrity in the database is the correctness, consistency and completeness of data. Data integrity is enforced using the following three integrity constraints:
- Entity Integrity – This is related to the concept of primary keys. All tables should have their own primary keys which should uniquely identify a row and not be NULL.
- Referential Integrity – This is related to the concept of foreign keys. A foreign key is a key of a relation that is referred in another relation.
- Domain Integrity – This means that there should be a defined domain for all the columns in a database.
An IT help desk serves as a critical component of an organization’s support infrastructure, offering technical assistance and resolving issues to ensure smooth operation of IT systems. Its primary functions include: 1. **Technical Support and Troubleshooting:** The help desk addresses and resolves tRead more
An IT help desk serves as a critical component of an organization’s support infrastructure, offering technical assistance and resolving issues to ensure smooth operation of IT systems. Its primary functions include:
1. **Technical Support and Troubleshooting:** The help desk addresses and resolves technical issues reported by users, such as software glitches, hardware failures, network connectivity problems, and login issues. Support staff use diagnostic tools and troubleshooting procedures to identify the root cause of problems and provide effective solutions.
2. **Incident Management:** This involves logging, categorizing, and prioritizing incidents based on their severity and impact on users. The help desk ensures that incidents are resolved within predefined service level agreements (SLAs), maintaining a record of incidents for future analysis and improvement.
3. **Request Fulfillment:** The help desk handles various user requests, such as software installations, hardware upgrades, account creations, and access permissions. These requests are managed efficiently to ensure that users receive the necessary resources and support promptly.
4. **Communication and Updates:** Effective communication is vital, so the help desk keeps users informed about the status of their issues or requests. This includes providing updates on troubleshooting progress, expected resolution times, and final resolutions, enhancing user confidence and satisfaction.
5. **Documentation and Knowledge Management:** The help desk maintains a comprehensive knowledge base, documenting common issues, solutions, and troubleshooting steps. This resource aids both support staff and users, enabling quicker problem resolution and reducing the frequency of recurring issues.
**Improving Customer Service:**
To enhance customer service, an IT help desk can implement proactive communication strategies, develop self-service portals, provide user training, gather and act on user feedback, and monitor performance metrics such as response time and customer satisfaction scores. These practices help in minimizing downtime, empowering users, and continuously enhancing the quality of support services.
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