Microsoft.sql.managedinstances.start.action

​

Event Information

• The Microsoft.Sql.managedInstances.start.action event in Azure for AzureDatabaseService indicates that a managed instance of SQL Server has been started.
• This event is triggered when the managed instance is successfully started and becomes available for use.
• It is important to monitor this event to ensure that the managed instance is starting up properly and to track any potential issues or delays in the startup process.

​

Examples

1. Unauthorized access: If security is impacted with the start action for Azure SQL Managed Instance, it could potentially allow unauthorized access to the database service. This could occur if the start action is triggered by an unauthorized user or if there are vulnerabilities in the authentication and authorization mechanisms.
2. Data exposure: Another security impact could be the exposure of sensitive data during the start action. If the start action is not properly configured or if there are misconfigurations in the database service, it could lead to the exposure of sensitive data to unauthorized individuals or entities.
3. Denial of service: A security impact could also be a potential denial of service (DoS) attack during the start action. If the start action is targeted by malicious actors, they could overload the database service with requests, causing it to become unresponsive or unavailable for legitimate users. This could result in disruption of services and potential financial losses for the organization.

​

Remediation

​

Using Console

1. Enable auditing for Azure SQL Database:
   • Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure SQL Database service.
   • Select the specific database you want to enable auditing for.
   • In the left-hand menu, under the Security section, click on “Auditing”.
   • Click on “Enable” to enable auditing for the database.
   • Configure the desired audit settings, such as storage account, retention period, and events to audit.
   • Click on “Save” to apply the changes.
2. Enable encryption at rest for Azure SQL Database:
   • Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure SQL Database service.
   • Select the specific database you want to enable encryption for.
   • In the left-hand menu, under the Security section, click on “Transparent data encryption”.
   • Click on “Enable” to enable encryption at rest for the database.
   • Wait for the encryption process to complete, which may take some time depending on the database size.
   • Once the encryption is enabled, the status will change to “Enabled”.
3. Enable network security groups for Azure Virtual Machines:
   • Go to the Azure portal and navigate to the Azure Virtual Machine service.
   • Select the specific virtual machine you want to apply network security groups to.
   • In the left-hand menu, under the Settings section, click on “Networking”.
   • Click on “Network security group” and then “Create new” to create a new network security group.
   • Configure the desired inbound and outbound rules to restrict network traffic.
   • Associate the newly created network security group with the virtual machine.
   • Click on “Save” to apply the changes.

​

Using CLI

1. Enable auditing for Azure SQL Database:
   • Use the az sql server update-auditing command to enable auditing for the Azure SQL Server.
   • Specify the necessary parameters such as --state Enabled and --storage-account resource_id to configure auditing.
   • Example command: az sql server update-auditing --resource-group <resource_group_name> --server <server_name> --state Enabled --storage-account <storage_account_resource_id>
2. Enable diagnostic settings for Azure SQL Database:
   • Use the az monitor diagnostic-settings create command to enable diagnostic settings for the Azure SQL Database.
   • Specify the necessary parameters such as --name, --resource-id, and --logs to configure diagnostic settings.
   • Example command: az monitor diagnostic-settings create --name <diagnostic_settings_name> --resource <database_resource_id> --logs '[{"category": "SQLSecurityAuditEvents", "enabled": true}]'
3. Enable threat detection for Azure SQL Database:
   • Use the az sql db threat-policy update command to enable threat detection for the Azure SQL Database.
   • Specify the necessary parameters such as --name, --resource-group, and --server to configure threat detection.
   • Example command: az sql db threat-policy update --name <database_name> --resource-group <resource_group_name> --server <server_name> --state Enabled

​

Using Python

1. Monitor and alert on database service events:
   • Use the Azure Monitor service to set up alerts for specific events or metrics related to the Azure Database Service.
   • Create a Log Analytics workspace and configure it to collect and analyze logs from the database service.
   • Use the Azure Monitor Python SDK to programmatically create and manage alerts and log analytics queries.
2. Implement automated backups and retention policies:
   • Use the Azure Backup service to schedule automated backups for your Azure Database Service.
   • Configure the retention policies to retain backups for a specific duration.
   • Utilize the Azure Python SDK to programmatically create and manage backup policies and retention settings.
3. Implement security best practices:
   • Enable firewall rules to restrict access to your Azure Database Service.
   • Implement Azure Active Directory authentication for better security.
   • Utilize the Azure Key Vault service to securely store and manage database connection strings and credentials.
   • Use the Azure Python SDK to automate the configuration of firewall rules, enable Azure AD authentication, and interact with Azure Key Vault.