Practical SQL for Cybersecurity: Build, Secure, and Investigate Databases for Threat Detection and Defense for Security Engineers

SQL is the universal language of data, and in cybersecurity, it's the most critical tool for defense and forensics. Every application, log, and transaction relies on the database, making it both a primary target and the last line of defense. This book focuses on leveraging SQL's native power, including triggers, stored procedures, and system views (like PostgreSQL's pg_audit and pg_stat_statements), to create autonomous security controls. By mastering SQL as a security tool, you transform the database into a self-healing, self-documenting system that can detect, withstand, and recover from sophisticated attacks. Practical SQL for Cybersecurity: Build, Secure, and Investigate Databases for Threat Detection and Defense for Security Engineers is the essential guide for transforming database knowledge into actionable security intelligence. Authored by Tony Bozeman, this book equips you with the SQL techniques necessary to harden the data layer against modern threats. You'll learn to move beyond basic data retrieval to perform root cause analysis, implement real-time anomaly detection using SQL triggers, enforce regulatory compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS), and integrate AI-assisted analysis into your database workflows. This practical, code-driven resource makes SQL your proactive ally in defending critical infrastructure. What's inside The book provides a systematic, defense-in-depth approach to database security, with chapters covering: Foundations & Hardening: Define secure schema designs, enforce Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), secure connections with least-privilege service accounts, and implement encryption and hashing for data at rest (e.g., using pgcrypto). Detection & Forensics: Design granular audit trails and forensic logs, use SQL triggers for real-time threat detection (e.g., off-hours modification alerts), and perform incident reconstruction by correlating login events with query history. Advanced Analytics: Build behavioral baselines using SQL window functions (for volume and performance profiling), and mine query history to detect insider threats and unfamiliar query templates. Integration & Automation: Feed database insights into SIEM and SOAR systems, automate compliance checks using scheduled SQL jobs (pg_cron), and integrate AI models for real-time risk scoring of queries. Attack Vectors: Dissect the anatomy of SQL Injection and learn to detect data exfiltration via query abuse (e.g., monitoring COPY TO PROGRAM commands). This guide is vital for professionals operating at the data layer of security: Security Engineers & Analysts: Responsible for threat hunting, incident response, and securing sensitive data stores. Database Administrators (DBAs): Looking to shift their expertise from performance to security hardening, compliance, and auditing. Developers: Striving to write safer queries and embed security by design into their applications. Take control of your database security posture! Master SQL as your ultimate defense tool and build systems that actively protect your most critical data.