Best way to secure an exposed SQL Server

Hi experts,
I have an application that my company designed and sold to users years ago
that requires SQL port 1433 to be open to the Internet. (Insert .. shame a
you here!).
There is basically a straight NAT statement from our firewall to the SQL
server that allows ALL inbound traffic to SQL. I am looking for the best
method to secure this connection from the application side (it is under
rewrite). Possibly encode the app to use some sort of VPN or maybe add a
front end server to autheticate the SQL users first, change the port and pas
s
to the back-end sql server?... I dont know really... can someone please
provide me with some design suggestions to take to my developers in order to
secure and encrypt there SQL sessions for their appications' I am able to
design hardware solutions to assist with this too!
I know its best practices to NOT have SQL open, but this late in the game,
it would take a miracle to get all our customers to change ports. Thanks for
your timely suggestions!!"Scott" <Scott@.discussions.microsoft.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:CE23D173-4B46-4AB3-B139-4664E65B58B3@.microsoft.com...
> Hi experts,
> I have an application that my company designed and sold to users years ago
> that requires SQL port 1433 to be open to the Internet. (Insert .. shame a
> you here!).
There you are :-)

> There is basically a straight NAT statement from our firewall to the SQL
> server that allows ALL inbound traffic to SQL. I am looking for the best
> method to secure this connection from the application side (it is under
> rewrite). Possibly encode the app to use some sort of VPN or maybe add a
> front end server to autheticate the SQL users first, change the port and
> pass
> to the back-end sql server?... I dont know really... can someone
> please
> provide me with some design suggestions to take to my developers in order
> to
> secure and encrypt there SQL sessions for their appications' I am able to
> design hardware solutions to assist with this too!
I wouldnt code that on my own, I would suggest using a software VPN client
which establishs a conection to the internal network and use the SQLServer
the old fashioned way. Exposing the SQLerver is always risky because your
are exposing productional data to the internet and to possible hackers. Even
if you are coding of 99% solution, that would bring nightmares if I would be
responsible for that.
SO my suggestion would be to use a hardware solution on the one sideand a
software / hardware solution on the other side implementing VPN (perhaps, if
you have money left to implement some securiyt with some kind of external
certification /smartcard solution)

> I know its best practices to NOT have SQL open, but this late in the game,
> it would take a miracle to get all our customers to change ports. Thanks
> for
> your timely suggestions!!
Just my two cents for that.
HTH, Jens Suessmeyer.|||We use a hardware firewall to only let some specific IP to access the
SQLServer through the Internet, until now, it is fine.
"Jens Smeyer" <Jens@.Remove_this_For_Contacting.sqlserver2005.de> glsD:Olhu%23%23
0eFHA.1404@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> "Scott" <Scott@.discussions.microsoft.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:CE23D173-4B46-4AB3-B139-4664E65B58B3@.microsoft.com...
> There you are :-)
>
> I wouldnt code that on my own, I would suggest using a software VPN
> client which establishs a conection to the internal network and use the
> SQLServer the old fashioned way. Exposing the SQLerver is always risky
> because your are exposing productional data to the internet and to
> possible hackers. Even if you are coding of 99% solution, that would bring
> nightmares if I would be responsible for that.
> SO my suggestion would be to use a hardware solution on the one sideand a
> software / hardware solution on the other side implementing VPN (perhaps,
> if you have money left to implement some securiyt with some kind of
> external certification /smartcard solution)
>
> Just my two cents for that.
> HTH, Jens Suessmeyer.
>