Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
11
Secure Database Systems
Elena Ferrari and Bhavani Thuraisingham
11.1
Introduction
The number of computerized DBs has increased rapidly over the past three
decades. The advent of the Internet as well as networking capabilities have
made the access to data and information much easier. For example, users can
now access large quantities of information in a short space of time. As more
and more tools and technologies are developed to access and use the data,
there is also an urgent need to protect the data. Many government and indus-
trial organizations have sensitive and classified data that have to be protected.
Various other organizations, such as academic institutions, also have sensitive
data about their students and employees. As a result, techniques for protect-
ing the data stored in DBMSs have become a top priority.
Over the past three decades, various developments have been made on
securing DBs. Much of the early work was on statistical DB security. In the
1970s, as research in relational DBs began, attention was directed toward
access control issues. In particular, work on discretionary access control mod-
els began. While some work on mandatory security started in the late 1970s,
it was not until the Air Force study in 1982 that many of the efforts in multi-
level secure DBMSs were initiated [1]. That resulted in the development of
various secure DB system prototypes and products. In the new millennium,
with the advent of new technologies such as digital libraries, the World Wide
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