Countermeasures to protect network protocols and databases
The following are countermeasures that should be made a priority to secure SQL servers from misconfiguration injections and network-based attacks:
- Keep the operating system and SQL server up to date to protect against multiple known threats.
- Disable SMBv1.
- Disable Link Local Multicast Name Resolution (LLMR), NetBIOS, and Web Proxy Autodiscover (WPAD).
- Disable NTLMv1.
- Disable sa, the default user, and the service accounts should not be used as the SQL servers.
- Always audit the SQL servers after the new configurations and on a monthly basis.
- Always use strong credentials for the domain user and the SQL server user.
- Disable the dangerous stored procedures.