--- title: Azure Security Best Practices | Dreamfactory description: If you are moving toward cloud adoption, Azure database security best practices can be of great assistance. Understand how to streamline this process. image: https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fPxOowbR6ls-1024x576.jpg --- [![DreamFactory logo](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64ed8da8a866be7a702fbae0/68d51994d3678214b54acb60_dreamfactory-navbar-logo.svg)](https://www.dreamfactory.com/) Products & Services [AI Data Gateway](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/overview) [Overview Why DreamFactory exists](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/overview) [Data Gov, Comp, Security Policy enforcement at the API layer](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/ai-data-governance) [Standard API Layer One contract for every backend](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/standard-api-layer) [API Gateway Functionality Routing, auth, rate limits, observability](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/api-gateway-functionality) [Deployment & Integration Self-hosted, cloud, hybrid](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/on-premise-deployment-and-integration) [Developer Productivity Auto-generated, never hand-coded](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/ai-development-accelerated) [AI App Architectures Patterns for RAG, agents, MCP](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/enterprise-ai-architectures) AI Data Models [AIOpenAI](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/openai) [GGoogle Gemini](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/google-gemini) [CAnthropic Claude](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/anthropic-claude-landing) [LMeta Llama](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/meta-llama) [MMistral AI](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/mistral) [CoCohere](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/cohere) Services and support [Quickstart Service Packages Expert-led Quickstarts to production](https://www.dreamfactory.com/services-and-support/quickstart-services-packages) API Management [Generate & Manage REST APIs From any database, in seconds](https://www.dreamfactory.com/api-management/generate-rest-apis) [Features Security, scripting, self-hosted & more](https://www.dreamfactory.com/api-management/features) [API Generation The complete guide to auto-generated APIs](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/a-complete-guide-to-api-generation) [API Management Concepts, tools, and best practises](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/what-is-api-management-a-brief-overview-of-api-management-concepts-and-tools?_gl=1*jl0njh*_gcl_au*MjQzMjgwMTc3LjE3ODIzMjI3MzY) Use Cases AI Use Cases [AI Data Access Secure, governed reads for your LLMs](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/ai-data-access) [MCP Server Drop-in Model Context Protocol](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/mcp-server) [Legacy Modernization Wrap mainframes with REST](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/legacy-modernization) [Data Governance Audit every call, enforce every policy](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/data-governance) [Customer Case Studies](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies) [Energy Modernization](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/energy-snowflake-modernization) [Government Modernization](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/government-mainframe-oracle-modernization) [Government Business Intelligence](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/government-sql-server-bi-analyst-queries) [Manufacturing Modernization](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/steel-manufacturing-sap-erp-modernization) [Financial Services Investor Portal](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/financial-services-sql-server-investor-portal) [Non-Profit Partner Data Sharing](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/non-profit-sql-server-partner-data-sharing) [Professional Services Exec Dashboards](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/professional-services-erp-dashboards) [Education HR and External Data Sharing](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/education-student-hr-sql-server-mysql-external-data-sharing) Industries Industries #### [Healthcare HIPAA-grade APIs across EHR, claims, and labs.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/healthcare) #### [Financial Services Portfolios, partners, and portals on one layer.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/financial-services) #### [Government Modernize mainframes without re-platforming.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/government) #### [Manufacturing SAP, MES, and shop-floor data, governed.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/manufacturing) #### [Spotlight How enterprises run on DreamFactory From healthcare to energy to finance — governance baked into every endpoint. Browse case studies →](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies) Connectors SQL Database [SQL SQL Server](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/sql-server) [OR Oracle](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/oracle) [PG PostgreSQL](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/postgresql) [My MySQL](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/mysql) NoSQL & Docs [Dy DynamoDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/dynamodb) [Do DocumentDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/azure-documentdb) [Mo MongoDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/mongodb) [Cb CouchDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/couch-db) Cloud Warehouses [S3 S3](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/amazon-s3) [Ab Azureblob](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/azure-blob) [FS FTP/SFTP](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/ftp-sftp) [LS Local Storage](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/local-storage) C & SaaS [Sf Salesforce](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/salesforce) [API REST / SOAP](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/soap-to-rest) [See all 30+ connectors](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors) [Blog](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/) [FREE 30 Minute Demo](https://www.dreamfactory.com/demo) [![DreamFactory logo](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64ed8da8a866be7a702fbae0/68d51994d3678214b54acb60_dreamfactory-navbar-logo.svg)](https://www.dreamfactory.com/) ![hamburger](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/dreamfactory/images/megamenu/menu-hamburger.svg) ![close](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/dreamfactory/images/megamenu/close-menu.svg) Back to main menu Products & Services Use Cases Industries Connectors [Blog](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/) [FREE 30 Minute Demo](https://www.dreamfactory.com/demo) [AI Data Gateway](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/overview) [Overview Why DreamFactory exists](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/overview) [Data Gov, Comp, Security Policy enforcement at the API layer](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/ai-data-governance) [Standard API Layer One contract for every backend](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/standard-api-layer) [API Gateway Functionality Routing, auth, rate limits, observability](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/api-gateway-functionality) [Deployment & Integration Self-hosted, cloud, hybrid](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/on-premise-deployment-and-integration) [Developer Productivity Auto-generated, never hand-coded](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/ai-development-accelerated) [AI App Architectures Patterns for RAG, agents, MCP](https://www.dreamfactory.com/ai-data-gateway/enterprise-ai-architectures) AI Data Models [AIOpenAI](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/openai) [GGoogle Gemini](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/google-gemini) [CAnthropic Claude](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/anthropic-claude-landing) [LMeta Llama](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/meta-llama) [MMistral AI](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/mistral) [CoCohere](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/cohere) Services and support [Quickstart Service Packages Expert-led Quickstarts to production](https://www.dreamfactory.com/services-and-support/quickstart-services-packages) AI Data Models [Generate & Manage REST APIs From any database, in seconds](https://www.dreamfactory.com/api-management/generate-rest-apis) [Features Security, scripting, self-hosted & more](https://www.dreamfactory.com/api-management/features) [API Generation The complete guide to auto-generated APIs](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/a-complete-guide-to-api-generation) [API Management Concepts, tools, and best practises](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/what-is-api-management-a-brief-overview-of-api-management-concepts-and-tools?_gl=1*jl0njh*_gcl_au*MjQzMjgwMTc3LjE3ODIzMjI3MzY) AI Use Cases [AI Data Access Secure, governed reads for your LLMs](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/ai-data-access) [MCP Server Drop-in Model Context Protocol](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/mcp-server) [Legacy Modernization Wrap mainframes with REST](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/legacy-modernization) [Data Governance Audit every call, enforce every policy](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/data-governance) [Customer Case Studies](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies) [Energy Modernization](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/energy-snowflake-modernization) [Government Modernization](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/government-mainframe-oracle-modernization) [Government Business Intelligence](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/government-sql-server-bi-analyst-queries) [Manufacturing Modernization](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/steel-manufacturing-sap-erp-modernization) [Financial Services Investor Portal](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/financial-services-sql-server-investor-portal) [Non-Profit Partner Data Sharing](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/non-profit-sql-server-partner-data-sharing) [Professional Services Exec Dashboards](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/professional-services-erp-dashboards) [Education HR and External Data Sharing](https://www.dreamfactory.com/case-studies/education-student-hr-sql-server-mysql-external-data-sharing) Industries #### [Healthcare HIPAA-grade APIs across EHR, claims, and labs.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/healthcare) #### [Financial Services Portfolios, partners, and portals on one layer.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/financial-services) #### [Government Modernize mainframes without re-platforming.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/government) #### [Manufacturing SAP, MES, and shop-floor data, governed.](https://www.dreamfactory.com/use-cases/manufacturing) SQL Database [SQL SQL Server](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/sql-server) [OR Oracle](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/oracle) [PG PostgreSQL](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/postgresql) [My MySQL](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/mysql) NoSQL & Docs [Dy DynamoDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/dynamodb) [Do DocumentDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/azure-documentdb) [Mo MongoDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/mongodb) [Cb CouchDB](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/couch-db) Cloud Warehouses [S3 S3](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/amazon-s3) [Ab Azureblob](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/azure-blob) [FS FTP/SFTP](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/ftp-sftp) [LS Local Storage](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/local-storage) C & SaaS [Sf Salesforce](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/salesforce) [API REST / SOAP](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors/soap-to-rest) [See all 30+ connectors](https://www.dreamfactory.com/connectors) [![back arrow](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/dreamfactory/images/orange-arrow.svg) Blog](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/) # Azure Security Best Practices | Dreamfactory by Terence Bennett ![calendar icon](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/dreamfactory/images/calendar-icon.svg) April 30, 2020 Table of contents RECOMMENDED ARTICLES - [A Complete Guide to API Generation](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/a-complete-guide-to-api-generation) - [10 Best API Management Tools](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/what-is-api-management-a-brief-overview-of-api-management-concepts-and-tools) - [Creating a Microsoft SQL Server API in Less Than 5 minutes with DreamFactory](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/creating-a-microsoft-sql-server-api-in-less-than-5-minutes-with-dreamfactory) - [Hasura vs. DreamFactory: A Comprehensive Comparison](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hasura-vs-dreamfactory) - [Build A Snowflake REST API in Less Than 5 Minutes](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/generate-a-snowflake-rest-api-in-less-than-5-minutes) ![Women look at security cameras and also for Azure Security Best Practices. ](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fPxOowbR6ls-1024x576.jpg?width=1200&height=675&name=fPxOowbR6ls-1024x576.jpg) ## **Contents**: Azure Security Best Practices We're exploring Azure Security Best Practices. The American government's annual budget is almost[ $1](https://www.fedscoop.com/white-house-allocates-9-8b-to-cybersecurity-in-2022-budget-request/)[0](https://www.fedscoop.com/white-house-allocates-9-8b-to-cybersecurity-in-2022-budget-request/)[billion](https://www.fedscoop.com/white-house-allocates-9-8b-to-cybersecurity-in-2022-budget-request/) regarding cybersecurity, businesses and users must take proactive action, implementing and practicing security best practices. ## **Azure Best Practices ** - [API Authentication ](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/azure-security-best-practices#API-Authentication) - [Be Mindful of Firewall Rules](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/azure-security-best-practices#Be-Mindful-of-Firewall-Rules) - [Protect Data Using Encryption](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/azure-security-best-practices#Protect-Data-Using-Encryption) - [Enable Database Threat Detection and Database Auditing](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/azure-security-best-practices#Enable-Database-Threat-Detection-and-Database-Auditing) It's estimated that in 2023, cybercriminals will steal around[ 33 billion records](https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-emerging-threats-10-facts-about-todays-cybersecurity-landscape-that-you-should-know.html). However, that should not deter businesses from optimizing everyday operations, especially in regard to their cloud workloads. Azure is a prime example of a beneficial cloud computing service, particularly in terms of unified API management, storage, and disaster recovery. If you are moving toward cloud adoption, Azure can be of great assistance when aiming to secure business assets. With that being said, you need to be aware of what you're responsible for to enhance security measures. Need an API for your Microservice? Did you know you can generate a full-featured, documented, and secure REST API in minutes using DreamFactory? Sign up for our **free 14 day hosted trial** to learn how! Our guided tour will show you how to create an API using an example MySQL database provided to you as part of the trial! [Connect My Azure Database Now](https://genie.dreamfactory.com/register?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=Azure-Security-Best-Practices%3Cbr%20/%3E%20;utm_campaign=blog) ## Azure Database Best Practices Spending[ $1 billion per year](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-ca/overview/what-is-azure/) to protect their customers' data, there's a reason why 95% of Fortune 500 companies trust their business on Azure. With that being said, extra precautions and[ Azure security best practices](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/database-best-practices) need to be considered in order to maximize security efforts.   ## API Authentication APIs handle an immense amount of data, which is why it's imperative to invest in API security. Think of authentication as an identification card that proves you are who you say you are. Although Azure Database provides a range of security features, end users are required to[ practice additional security measures](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/database-best-practices). For example, you must manage strong credentials yourself. Active Directory is the authentication solution of choice for enterprises around the world, and the Azure-hosted version only adds to the attraction as companies continue migrating to the cloud. If you'd like to add Azure Active Directory authentication to your application, you can use DreamFactory's Azure Active Directory OAuth connector to easily do so. Securing APIs is difficult and time consuming. DreamFactory makes it easy with User Management, SSO Authentication, JSON Web Tokens (JWT), CORS, Role-Based Access Control on API endpoints, record-level permissions on data, OAuth, LDAP, Active Directory, SAML integration, and more. Take steps to automatically generate, publish, and manage REST APIs.[ Learn more here](https://www.dreamfactory.com/features/).    ## Be Mindful of Firewall Rules Firewall rules are put in place to restrict data access. Microsoft Azure SQL Database utilizes these rules to limit connectivity by IP address, in addition to enforcing authentication and authorization measures. Whenever possible,[ use database IP firewall rules](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-firewall-configure). DreamFactory can be deployed on premise behind the firewall, in a DreamFactory-hosted environment or on a self-hosted cloud. With this flexibility of deployment and robust security measures, DreamFactory can satisfy and support the most stringent firewall requirements.    ## Protect Data Using Encryption Data encryption helps to protect your data on disk while ensuring protection against unauthorized access to hardware. This includes your associated backups. If your organization is not using database-level encryption, you may be more susceptible to attacks. However, it's important to be mindful of authorized users when practicing best practices. Although the database will be encrypted, it is recommended that you follow these recommendations: - Be sure to enable SQL Server authentication at the database level - When you use Azure Active Directory authentication, do so using[ role-based access control (RBAC)](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/dreamfactory-2-10-release/) roles. This allows you to manage who has access to Azure resources, as well as what they can do with the resources they have access to. - Use separate accounts to authenticate unique users and applications.   ## Enable Database Threat Detection and Database Auditing In terms of threat detection, it's up to you to discover and classify the most sensitive, critical data in your databases. This can be done by enabling[ Data Discovery and Classification](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-data-discovery-and-classification?tabs=azure-t-sql), which will allow you to actively monitor data or access download reports.  You should also: Track any potential vulnerabilities and enable[ Threat Detection](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-threat-detection) — which offers security alerts and recommendations. In terms of auditing, you'll want to track and log events. These audits can be created for server-level events and database-level events based on key specifications. This is key in terms of ongoing compliance. It will also help you better understand database activity, providing insight into any potential security violations or business concerns.  DreamFactory comes with the popular ELK stack (Elastic, Logstash, and Kibana) for logging and reporting on API traffic. Kibana provides flexible reporting on all API calls with pre-configured dashboards segmented by instance, application, role, user, API endpoint, and more. From authentication to database, cloud to email tools, DreamFactory is the ultimate REST API management platform.[ Integrate DreamFactory](https://www.dreamfactory.com/hub/categories/all/) by starting[ your free trial](https://genie.dreamfactory.com/register) today! Meta description: DreamFactory integration supports Azure Database security best practices, making API management safe and simple. TAGS: [security,](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/tag/security) [Azure SQL](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/tag/azure-sql) ![Terence Bennett](https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1624046620145.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=1624046620145.jpg) Terence Bennett Terence Bennett, CEO of DreamFactory, has a wealth of experience in government IT systems and Google Cloud. His impressive background includes being a former U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer and a former member of Google's Red Team. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as COO at DreamFactory Software. Stay Connected with The Connector Newsletter! Subscribe to stay up-to-date with DreamFactory's latest product updates, API best practices, and tech humor in your inbox. 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All rights reserved. [Terms of Use](https://www.dreamfactory.com/terms-of-use) [Privacy Policy](https://www.dreamfactory.com/privacy-policy) [LLMs](https://www.dreamfactory.com/llms.txt) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Terence Bennett", "url" : "https://blog.dreamfactory.com/author/terencebennett" }, "dateModified" : "2024-06-27T05:56:12.813Z", "datePublished" : "2020-05-01T01:17:40.000Z", "headline" : "Azure Security Best Practices | Dreamfactory", "image" : [ "https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fPxOowbR6ls-1024x576.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.dreamfactory.com/azure-security-best-practices", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.dreamfactory.com/hubfs/DreamFactory%20-%20Orange%20-%20Transparent-1.png" } } } ```