✅ Security by Design – Secure your SQL Server workloads in Azure
Security by Design in Azure SQL: Best Practices for 2025. Secure your SQL Server workloads in Azure with a security-by-design approach. Discover native Azure tools for encryption, access management and threat protection. Azure SQL Security.
Introduction
In the cloud age, security is not a product but a process. For organizations running SQL Server workloads in Azure, a thoughtful and proactive security approach is essential. Not only because of compliance requirements (such as ISO 27001 or GDPR), but also because of increasing threats from data breaches and ransomware.
With Security by Design, you set up your Azure SQL environment so that security is a standard part of your architecture – not something you try to fix after the fact.
What is “Security by Design” in Azure?
Security by Design means that you consider security right from the architecture phase:
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Minimum access rights (least privilege).
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Built-in encryption
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Network Isolation
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Continuous monitoring
For this, Azure provides powerful native tools that allow you to build compliant and resilient. Azure SQL Security.
Key security layers for SQL in Azure (Azure SQL Security)
🔐 1. Data Encryption
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At rest: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) enabled by default
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In transit: SSL/TLS encryption between client and server
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BYOK (Bring Your Own Key): for customer-controlled encryption keys
👤 2. Identity & Access Management
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Azure Active Directory (AAD) integration with SQL logins
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Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) at the resource, server and database level
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Conditional Access policies for additional layers of security (MFA, device compliance)
🛡️ 3. Threat Protection
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Advanced Threat Protection for detection of SQL injection, brute-force attacks and anomalies
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Audit Logs & Log Analytics: complete logging of access and query behavior
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Defender for SQL: activates alerts and integrates with Microsoft Sentinel
🌐 4. Network Security
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Private Link for access through the internal network
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VNet Service Endpoints to block public access
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Firewall rules & NSGs (Network Security Groups) by subnet or IP range
Compliance & Governance (bonus layer) Azure SQL Security
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Azure Policy: enforcing encryption, audit logs and tagging
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Microsoft Purview: data classification, data mapping and compliance reporting
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Blueprints for NEN 7510, GDPR, ISO 27001, etc.
❌ Common mistakes with Azure SQL Security
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Default logins and shared accounts
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Open ports without IP restrictions
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No logging or auditing configured
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No integration with SIEM environment
🎯 Call to Action
🔒 Want to know if your Azure SQL environment is securely set up? Azure SQL Security. Get advice from our Azure experts or schedule an instant quick scan atinfo@improfs.nl. Or you can comment below!
