Secure database management systems

Information is a very critical asset in today´s organizations. Organizations use database systems and the information within them to automate various functions. Due to its importance, information protection is a critical component of the database management system (DBMS). Information protection is the goal of a secure DBMS. When designing such a system, tradeoffs between operating environment, economic considerations and performance must be made. Secure DBMSs, if built too securely, can become too costly and too difficult to use. This may discourage the organization from using the system, thus rendering it useless. A secure DBMS should be user-friendly, perform operations quickly and maintain data secrecy during all transactions. The system should be flexible enough to support the organization´s changing needs while still meeting its security requirements. When designing a secure DBMS, the entire environment must be considered. The level of security provided by any secure DBMS is only as good as its weakest link