SQL Server must off-load audit data to a separate log management facility; this must be continuous and in near real time for systems with a network connection to the storage facility and weekly or more often for stand-alone systems.

From MS SQL Server 2014 Instance Security Technical Implementation Guide

Associated with: CCI-001851

SV-82431r1_rule SQL Server must off-load audit data to a separate log management facility; this must be continuous and in near real time for systems with a network connection to the storage facility and weekly or more often for stand-alone systems.

Vulnerability discussion

Information stored in one location is vulnerable to accidental or incidental deletion or alteration.Off-loading is a common process in information systems with limited audit storage capacity. The DBMS may write audit records to database tables, to files in the file system, to other kinds of local repository, or directly to a centralized log management system. Whatever the method used, it must be compatible with off-loading the records to the centralized system.This applies to all data output for audit trail purposes, whether produced by SQL Server Audit, Trace, or other means; but excluding audit-trail information built into application data.

Check content

Review the system documentation for a description of how audit records are off-loaded. If the database server has a continuous network connection to the centralized log management system, but the SQL Server audit records are not written directly to the centralized log management system or transferred in near-real-time, this is a finding. If the database server does not have a continuous network connection to the centralized log management system, and the SQL Server audit records are not transferred to the centralized log management system weekly or more often, this is a finding.

Fix text

Deploy and configure software tools to transfer audit records to a centralized log management system, continuously and in near-real time where a continuous network connection to the log management system exists, or at least weekly in the absence of such a connection.

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