Hi @Ayush
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To address your concerns about the security of loading highly sensitive data into Azure SQL Database using Azure Data Factory (ADF), I recommend the following approach to ensure maximum security:
Authentication:
- Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) with Managed Identity: This is the recommended approach for high security. It eliminates the need to store credentials in ADF. ADF retrieves credentials through a managed identity assigned to it, granting access based on Azure AD roles. Only authorized users with access to the managed identity can trigger data pipelines.
- System-assigned Managed Identity: This identity is linked to the lifecycle of the service instance. When the resource is deleted, Azure automatically deletes the identity.
- User-assigned Managed Identity: This identity is managed separately from the resources that use it. You can create a user-assigned managed identity and assign it to one or more instances of a data factory.
Additional Security Measures:
Azure Key Vault: Store connection strings and other secrets used by ADF in Azure Key Vault. Key Vault provides secure storage with access control using Azure AD identities. ADF can access secrets securely using managed identity or a service principal with access to the Key Vault.
Data Encryption: Encrypt data at rest in Azure SQL Database using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). This encrypts the entire database with a customer-managed key stored in Azure Key Vault.
Network Security Groups (NSGs): Use NSGs to restrict access to the Azure SQL Database to specific IP addresses or Azure Virtual Networks. This ensures only authorized sources can access the database.
Minimize Permissions: Grant the absolute minimum permissions in Azure AD roles for users interacting with ADF and the database.
Service Principal: This is another type of authentication that can be used in ADF.
By combining these techniques, you can significantly enhance the security of your sensitive data transfer using ADF.
Reference:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/data-factory-service-identity
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/data-factory-service-identity
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/credentials?tabs=data-factory
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