Use case

Enhancing Database Security and Efficiency: Implementing Pg Role-Based Access Control in PostgreSQL

About the Customer

Finariq is a leading software company specializing in building solutions to streamline database and application access. With a focus on enhancing security, performance, and manageability, Finariq provides custom solutions for businesses that need secure database management, particularly in PostgreSQL environments. Their expertise spans across database management, DevOps integration, and application-specific database configurations, making them a preferred choice for organizations seeking robust data management solutions.

Customer Challenge

Finariq faced a critical challenge with their PostgreSQL database access management. Previously, many of their applications relied on the PostgreSQL root user to perform read and write operations, which posed a significant security risk. Utilizing the root user for multiple functions increased the risk of unauthorized access and accidental modifications to sensitive data. Moreover, their existing setup lacked a defined structure for different access levels, making it difficult to apply the principle of least privilege.

The risks of continuing with this approach were high. If left unaddressed, the company could face potential security breaches, data leakage, or compliance violations due to excessive privileges. Furthermore, there was a need for role-based access control (RBAC) to segregate read and write operations across various applications to ensure smoother operations and reduce administrative overhead.

Solution

IAMOPS assisted Finariq in implementing a secure, scalable solution using PostgreSQL’s built-in user management features to create distinct read-write and read-only users. This setup allowed for better control and reduced reliance on the root user, ensuring that applications only accessed the resources they needed.

The key steps in the solution included:

  1. Creating Read-Only Role and Users: A `readonly` role was established to allow select-only access to the necessary database schemas.
  2. Creating Read-Write Role and Users: A `readwrite` role was created with more extensive privileges for specific applications.
  3. Revoking Public Privileges: Unnecessary privileges from the public schema were revoked to further tighten security.

IAMOPS provided ongoing support throughout the pre-implementation phase, including analyzing the client’s current database usage patterns. During the post-implementation phase, IAMOPS continued to offer monitoring services, ensuring that user roles remained effective and secured.

AWS Services Utilized:

  • Amazon RDS (PostgreSQL)
  • AWS IAM
  • Amazon CloudWatch

Results & Benefits

The implementation of the read-write and read-only user roles greatly improved Finariq’s security posture. By adhering to the principle of least privilege, the risk of unauthorized access and data corruption was significantly reduced.

Specific benefits of the solution include:

  • Enhanced Security: The risk of potential security breaches was minimized.
  • Improved Manageability: Segregating read and write access simplified database administration.
  • Efficiency Gains: Role-based access reduced the need for manual intervention in managing permissions.

About IAMOPS

IAMOPS is a full DevOps suite company that supports technology companies to achieve intense production readiness.

Our mission is to ensure that our clients’ infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines are scalable, mitigate failure points, optimize performance, ensure uptime, and minimize costs.

Our DevOps suite includes DevOps Core, NOC 24/7, FinOps, QA Automation, and DevSecOps to accelerate overall exponential growth.

As an AWS Advanced Tier Partner and Reseller, we focus on two key pillars: Professionalism by adhering to best practices and utilizing advanced technologies, and Customer Experience with responsiveness, availability, clear project management, and transparency to provide an exceptional experience for our clients.

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