Oracle is readying a new add-on to its enterprise database software that will give users more control over how their data is accessed. Called Database Vault, the software will be introduced Wednesday at Oracle’s Collaborate 06 User Group Conference in Nashville, Tenn.The product includes new security mechanisms that can be used to place further restrictions on what certain privileged users, such as database administrators (DBAs), can do, said Wynn White, senior director of security and identity management with Oracle. “What we’re announcing here is the industry’s first database security solution to restrict superuser and privileged user access,” he said. Administrators typically require special privileges on the database for technical reasons, but as companies have become more aware of the threat and frequency of insider attacks, some customers are looking for ways to rein in their DBAs, White said. “Generally, that person has the keys to the entire kingdom of your data store,” he said.Database Vault can place restrictions on what data is available to users, depending on a variety of factors, such as the IP address being used, the machine being accessed, or what time of day the request is being made. This can make it impossible, for example, for an administrator to make a database change from outside the firewall. Additionally, Database Vault will include about three dozen standard reports that will provide information on who has what privileges, as well as logs of who has been accessing the database and when. This kind of information can be used by companies to help establish regulatory compliance, White said. A Linux version of Database Vault will ship within 30 days, with support for other operating systems being gradually delivered over the next six months, White said. The software will work with Oracle Database 10g Release 2 and later versions. It will be priced at either US$20,000 per CPU or $400 per user, depending on what the customer prefers. Also set to be announced Wednesday is Oracle Secure Backup, tape backup, and encryption software that is specially designed to work with Oracle’s database and Enterprise Manager software. Available as of Wednesday for Oracle 9i and higher products, the software will cost $3,000 per tape drive.-Robert McMillan, IDG News ServiceFor related news coverage, read Oracle Software Stack Appeals to Users and Oracle: Open Source Brings New Customers.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe