Sensitive Data Stored

This section outlines the types of sensitive information stored by dbWatch Control Center, how that data is protected at rest, and recommendations for secure configuration and handling.

Types of Stored Sensitive Data

dbWatch Control Center stores a limited set of sensitive information to support monitoring, authentication, and reporting functionality. This includes:

Database credentials (usernames and passwords) for accessing monitored instances
Control Center user profiles and roles
Domain configuration and internal certificates
Performance statistics and monitoring history
Audit logs, if enabled

> These data types are required to support automation, access control, and long-term performance tracking.

Credential Storage and Protection

Database usernames and passwords are:

Encrypted on disk using AES-based symmetric encryption
Stored only on the primary Control Center server
Decrypted only in memory at runtime to establish JDBC connections
Never stored or exposed in plaintext

This credential storage is local and isolated, and cannot be accessed remotely or without local administrative permissions.

Storage Location and Access

Sensitive data is stored in the file system of the Control Center Server, typically under:

`/opt/dbwatch/domain/` (Linux)
`C:\ProgramData\dbWatch\domain\` (Windows)

Components stored here include:

Encrypted instance connection files
Keystores for TLS authentication
Domain topology definitions
Job configuration and execution metadata

> It is strongly recommended to restrict access to these folders using OS-level permissions and secure the host system with disk encryption.

Data Stored in Monitored Database Instances

When dbWatch installs its engine into a target database, it creates a separate schema (e.g., `dbwatch_cc`) which stores:

Monitoring job definitions
Job execution logs and thresholds
Collected performance metrics (e.g., wait events, index fragmentation)
Aggregated history for reporting and dashboard views

This schema does not store business application data by default.

Exception: Application-Level Data in SQL Statistics

Some SQL statistics jobs (such as those in the SQL Performance package) may store captured SQL text as part of query profiling.

This text may include:

Literal values passed in queries
Table names or query fragments that include business data patterns
Full SQL statements executed by applications

> While dbWatch does not intentionally extract or store business data, the presence of query literals in captured SQL text may expose application-level information indirectly. Organizations with strict data classification rules should consider enabling:

Query obfuscation or parameterization at the database level
Role-based access restrictions to SQL statistics modules
Retention policies to limit historical exposure

Recommendations

To reduce risk and enforce security best practices:

Restrict file system access to the Control Center installation directory
Secure the OS with disk encryption (e.g., LUKS, BitLocker)
Back up encrypted configuration files regularly
Limit access to SQL Performance features where data exposure is a concern
Enable audit logging to detect configuration or access changes