Azure Policy Regulatory Compliance controls for Azure SQL Database & SQL Managed Instance
Applies to: 
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Regulatory Compliance in Azure Policy provides Azure created and managed initiative definitions, known as built-ins, for the compliance domains and security controls related to different compliance standards. This page lists the compliance domains and security controls for Azure SQL Database and SQL Managed Instance. You can assign the built-ins for a security control individually to help make your Azure resources compliant with the specific standard.
The title of each built-in policy definition links to the policy definition in the Azure portal. Use the link in the Policy Version column to view the source on the Azure Policy GitHub repo.
Important
Each control is associated with one or more Azure Policy definitions. These policies might help you assess compliance with the control. However, there often isn't a one-to-one or complete match between a control and one or more policies. As such, Compliant in Azure Policy refers only to the policies themselves. This doesn't ensure that you're fully compliant with all requirements of a control. In addition, the compliance standard includes controls that aren't addressed by any Azure Policy definitions at this time. Therefore, compliance in Azure Policy is only a partial view of your overall compliance status. The associations between controls and Azure Policy Regulatory Compliance definitions for these compliance standards can change over time.
Azure Security Benchmark v1
The Azure Security Benchmark provides recommendations on how you can secure your cloud solutions on Azure. To see how this service completely maps to the Azure Security Benchmark, see the Azure Security Benchmark mapping files.
To review how the available Azure Policy built-ins for all Azure services map to this compliance standard, see Azure Policy Regulatory Compliance - Azure Security Benchmark.
| Domain | Control ID | Control title | Policy (Azure portal) |
Policy version (GitHub) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Security | 1.1 | Protect resources using Network Security Groups or Azure Firewall on your Virtual Network | SQL Server should use a virtual network service endpoint | 1.0.0 |
| Logging and Monitoring | 2.3 | Enable audit logging for Azure resources | Auditing on SQL server should be enabled | 2.0.0 |
| Logging and Monitoring | 2.3 | Enable audit logging for Azure resources | SQL Auditing settings should have Action-Groups configured to capture critical activities | 1.0.0 |
| Logging and Monitoring | 2.5 | Configure security log storage retention | SQL servers with auditing to storage account destination should be configured with 90 days retention or higher | 3.0.0 |
| Logging and Monitoring | 2.7 | Enable alerts for anomalous activity | Azure Defender for SQL should be enabled for unprotected Azure SQL servers | 2.0.1 |
| Logging and Monitoring | 2.7 | Enable alerts for anomalous activity | Azure Defender for SQL should be enabled for unprotected SQL Managed Instances | 1.0.2 |
| Identity and Access Control | 3.9 | Use Azure Active Directory | An Azure Active Directory administrator should be provisioned for SQL servers | 1.0.0 |
| Data Protection | 4.5 | Use an active discovery tool to identify sensitive data | Azure Defender for SQL should be enabled for unprotected Azure SQL servers | 2.0.1 |
| Data Protection | 4.5 | Use an active discovery tool to identify sensitive data | Azure Defender for SQL should be enabled for unprotected SQL Managed Instances | 1.0.2 |
| Data Protection | 4.8 | Encrypt sensitive information at rest | SQL managed instances should use customer-managed keys to encrypt data at rest | 2.0.0 |
| Data Protection | 4.8 | Encrypt sensitive information at rest | SQL servers should use customer-managed keys to encrypt data at rest | 2.0.1 |
| Data Protection | 4.8 | Encrypt sensitive information at rest | Transparent Data Encryption on SQL databases should be enabled | 2.0.0 |
| Vulnerability Management | 5.1 | Run automated vulnerability scanning tools | Vulnerability assessment should be enabled on SQL Managed Instance | 1.0.1 |
| Vulnerability Management | 5.1 | Run automated vulnerability scanning tools | Vulnerability assessment should be enabled on your SQL servers | 3.0.0 |
| Vulnerability Management | 5.5 | Use a risk-rating process to prioritize the remediation of discovered vulnerabilities | SQL databases should have vulnerability findings resolved | 4.0.0 |
| Data Recovery | 9.1 | Ensure regular automated back ups | Long-term geo-redundant backup should be enabled for Azure SQL Databases | 2.0.0 |
| Data Recovery | 9.2 | Perform complete system backups and backup any customer managed keys | Long-term geo-redundant backup should be enabled for Azure SQL Databases | 2.0.0 |
Next steps
- See the built-ins on the Azure Policy GitHub repo.