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Category: Security

Hadoop And Active Directory

RK Kuppala explains how to integrate a Hadoop cluster with Active Directory:

This post explains kerberizing an existing Hadoop cluster using Ambari. Kerberos helps with the Authentication part of enterprise security (while authorization, auditing and data protection being the remaining parts).

HDP uses Kerberos, which is an industry standard for authenticate users and resources and providing strong identity for users. Apache Ambari can kerberize an existing cluster by using an existing MIT key distribution center (KDC) or Microsoft’s Active Directory.

This was a lot easier than I expected.

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SQL Server Port Changes

Steve Jones shows how to change the port of your SQL Server instance:

Notice that I have multiple instances here, so I need to choose one. Once I do, I see the protocols on the right. In this case, I want to look at the properties of TCP/IP, which is where I’ll get the port.

If I look at properties, I’ll start with the Protocol tab, but I want to switch to the IP Addresses tab. In here, you can see I’ll see an entry for each of the IPs my instance is listening on. I can see which ones are Active as well as the port. In my case, I have these set to dynamic ports.

My rules of thumb, which might differ from your rules of thumb:  disable the Browser, don’t change off of 1433 for a single instance, and hard-code ports if you happen to be using named instances.  There’s a small argument in favor of “hiding” your instance by putting it onto a higher port (i.e., 50000+), but that’s not a great way of protecting a system, as an attacker can run nmap (or any other port scanner) and find your instance.  The major exception to this is if you also have something like honeyports set up.  In that case, changing the port number can increase security, and will almost definitely increase the number of developers who accidentally get blackholed from the server.

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Backup Encryption

Daniel Jones shows how to use backup encryption in SQL Server:

The backup encryption in SQL server is needed due to following reasons:

  • Way to Keep Database File Secure: Users need to encrypt SQL server database backup files because this procedure provides complete security to copy of SQL server data. This security measure will keep transaction logs, tables, and other server data safe from any person, who wants to make use of these data in wrong manner.

  • Accessed Only By Authorized Person: It is impossible to restore an encrypted backup file, if a person is not having certificate or asymmetric key for decryption. Therefore, it means that only authorized persons who are knowing credentials of encrypted backup file can restore data with its full access.

Encrypting backups (and storing the encryption key somewhere independent of the backups themselves) can help prevent a very bad day.

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Constrained Delegation

Regis Baccaro shows how to allow non-domain admins to configure Kerberos Constrained Delegation:

Now I need to add some special permissions to computer objects, so I click Add again. Once again, I’ll select the DBA group, then I need to switch to Descendant Computer objects. I click Write and then scroll down until I see Validated write to service principal name. I’ll click the box to enable it, and then OK, OK, and OK.

The end result looks like below :

2 permissions for DBA group,

  • All descendants objects : Write all properties

  • Descendant computer objects : Validate write to Service Principal Name

Regis has the whole process documented well, so check it out.

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Apache Ranger On ElasticMapReduce

Varun Rao explains role-based access control using Apache Ranger on Amazon ElasticMapReduce:

Using the HUE SQL Editor, execute the following query.

These queries use external tables, and Hive leverages EMRFS to access the data stored in S3. Because HiveServer2 (where Hue is submitting these queries) is checking with Ranger to grant or deny before accessing any data in S3, you can create fine-grained SQL-based permissions for users even though there is a single EC2 role specified for the cluster (which is used by all requests the cluster makes to S3). For more information, see Additional Features of Hive on Amazon EMR.

If your job includes securing a Hadoop cluster, this is a nice read, even if you don’t use EMR.

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Row-Level Security With Power BI

Callum Green shows how to use row-level security with Power BI Desktop:

In the June 2016 monthly Power BI release, Row Level Security (RLS) was introduced into Power BI desktop. This is great news for people using the application, especially as the configuration is stored within the Power BI model.  Previously, you had to create the security in the web environment, which could easily be overwritten when publishing multiple times from a desktop workbook.

In this blog, I will show you how to set up RLS in Power BI desktop and how to test it works. My example uses the AdventureWorksDW2014 database (download here), specifically applying permissions for a manager. Each manager will only be able to see data for the Sales Representatives that report to them.

This is different from the SQL Server 2016 feature of the same name, but the concept is the same.

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Checking File Permissions

Andrew Peterson runs chmod 664 on a database backup:

You’re attempting to RESTORE a SQL Server database backup to your Linux installation and you get the message:

Msg 3201, Level 16, State 2, Line 17
Cannot open backup device ‘C:\home\user\Downloads\AdventureWorks2012.bak’.
Operating system error 2(The system cannot find the file
specified.).
Msg 3013, Level 16, State 1, Line 17
RESTORE HEADERONLY is terminating abnormally.

If you’re going to administer SQL Server on Linux, it’s a good idea to check out the Unix-style permissions model.  It’s a bit different than what we’re used to on Windows, though it does make sense with a bit of practice.

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Viewing Power BI Audit Logs

Ginger Grant shows how to give a Power BI Administrator rights to view the audit logs:

The Audit Logs are the third menu item in the Power BI Admin Portal. As you can tell by looking at a copy of the screen below, Audit Logs are not really part of Power BI. Yes the ability to log all of the content in Power BI exists in the Audit Logs, but so does the ability to review the audit logs for things like Exchange Mailbox Activities and User Administration Activities.

If the Office 365 Administrator has granted a user Power BI Administration rights, this is what the newly minted Power BI Administrator will see when trying to access any search activities. It appears that you the user has rights, until that user tries to do anything on the screen. At that point, this error window appears.

Click through to see how to grant audit log access.

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