Control: 4.2.3 Ensure that Vulnerability Assessment (VA) setting 'Periodic recurring scans' is set to 'on' for each SQL server

Description

Enable Vulnerability Assessment (VA) Periodic recurring scans for critical SQL servers and corresponding SQL databases.

VA setting 'Periodic recurring scans' schedules periodic (weekly) vulnerability scanning for the SQL server and corresponding Databases. Periodic and regular vulnerability scanning provides risk visibility based on updated known vulnerability signatures and best practices.

Remediation

From Azure Console

1. Go to SQL servers
2. For each server instance
3. Click on Security Center
4. In Section Vulnerability Assessment Settings, set Storage Account if not already
5. Toggle 'Periodic recurring scans' to ON.
6. Click Save

From Powershell

If not already, Enable Advanced Data Security for a SQL Server:

Set-AZSqlServerThreatDetectionPolicy -ResourceGroupName <resource group name>
-ServerName <server name> -EmailAdmins $True

To enable ADS-VA service with 'Periodic recurring scans'

Update-AzSqlServerVulnerabilityAssessmentSetting `
-ResourceGroupName "<resource group name>"`
-ServerName "<Server Name>"`
-StorageAccountName "<Storage Name from same subscription and same Location" `
-ScanResultsContainerName "vulnerability-assessment" `
-RecurringScansInterval Weekly `
-EmailSubscriptionAdmins $true `
-NotificationEmail @("mail1@mail.com" , "mail2@mail.com")

Default Value

Enabling Microsoft Defender for SQL enables 'Periodic recurring scans' by default but does not configure the Storage account.