Is there a way in the DB to hide data from the DBA?

[davey23uk]

but if you are a manager of some sort you have a responsibility to your employees to protect sensitive data about them. Not everyone is as honourable as you are.

Yes you are responsible for protecting the data, but do you need to see it? I dont think so

Sad but true

[OracleDoc]

Yes you are responsible for protecting the data, but do you need to see it? I dont think so

Ok, then if you're the DBA, who is going to be more knowledgeble than you to go behind the scenes and block the data? I agree that we don't need to see it but, it all boils down to trust. The company trusts you to protect their data they should trust that you wont go and blab about personal information. If a company doesn't trust me I wouldn't want to work for them. We have too great of a responsiblity to quarel about trivial things as salary information.

[slimdave]

Wouldn't you like to be able to prove that it wasn't you that posted the customers' SSN's to a website? Or sent an anonymous email to the whole company listing everyone's salaries? I know that I would.

I'd be very happy to implement such a feature -- i don't now why we're getting this parade of wounded egos.

[OracleDoc]

If you had the proper security in place you and HR would be the only ones who could do such a thing. I know I enjoy having people (HR) with the mentality of scratch and sniffs with that ability. Better yet having SCOTT with DBA privs.

[slimdave]

Ah, but what sort of security feature, other than obfuscation, allows columns to be hidden from DBA's?

[davey23uk]

I just this its better for everyone in the long run to encrypt this kinda data, then any hackers cant get at it, the bad dba cant distribute, employees can sleep safely and manager can put their feet up in their offices.

Why tempt fate?

[JMac]

DBA's have no need to see how much people get paid, nor their social security numbers etc. -- business staff do.

Absolutely. We have no need. Agreed.

But whatever Oracle can hide a DBA can make visible again. If you don't trust them to keep this all confidential then you can't win.

I mean we could tell management that we don't know - or can't find out - users' passwords. But we can change passwords, log on as users, do something and then change the passwords back. AND NO-ONE WOULD EVER KNOW!!!

But we don't. Because we're professionals.

I'm not arguing against encryption, Its cool. Management and auditors absolutely love it. It does exactly what it says on the tin and hides sensitive data from hackers and casual 'onlookers'. But to say, as a requirement, that the data must be hidden even from the DBAs smacks of a lack of professional trust. Why should the clerks in payroll (who know and see your salary and personal details) be thought of as more trustworthy than a DBA?

Thats the crux of my argument, chaps.

[stmontgo]

Originally posted by JMac
Absolutely. We have no need. Agreed.

But whatever Oracle can hide a DBA can make visible again. If you don't trust them to keep this all confidential then you can't win.

Wrong, look at the link I provided. If the user or the app manages the key Oracle warns that the loss of the key means the data is lost as well

[JMac]

Never read the link there, sorry.

Thats begs another issue; the loss of the key ... do you think management will insist that the DBA be able to recover the data? I know mine would. Which means that in my case I'd need the key.

[marist89]

Originally posted by JMac

I mean we could tell management that we don't know - or can't find out - users' passwords. But we can change passwords, log on as users, do something and then change the passwords back. AND NO-ONE WOULD EVER KNOW!!!

But we don't. Because we're professionals.

(wink, wink, sure we don't...)