Snowflake Audit Log Exposure Remediation

Learn how to fix exposure of audit logs in Snowflake environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for SOC 2 compliance.

data exposure

SOC 2

snowflake

Why It Matters

The core goal is to secure audit logs that contain sensitive operational data within your Snowflake environment, ensuring they are protected from unauthorized access and meet compliance requirements. Fixing audit log exposures in Snowflake is critical for organizations subject to SOC 2, as it helps you maintain the integrity and confidentiality of your security monitoring capabilities—preventing attackers from identifying system vulnerabilities or covering their tracks.

Primary Risk: Data exposure of security monitoring information

Relevant Regulation: SOC 2 Type II Security and Availability Criteria

Proper audit log protection ensures attackers cannot tamper with security evidence while maintaining compliance with logging and monitoring requirements.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Snowflake ACCOUNTADMIN or SECURITYADMIN role
  • USAGE privileges on audit log schemas
  • Ability to modify role-based access controls

External Tools

  • Snowflake CLI or SnowSQL
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Security monitoring tools

Prior Setup

  • Snowflake account provisioned
  • Audit logging enabled
  • Network policies configured
  • Security event monitoring established

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By leveraging AI-powered natural language processing (NLP) and pattern recognition, Cyera automatically identifies exposed audit logs containing sensitive security information in Snowflake, enabling you to quickly remediate vulnerabilities and maintain SOC 2 compliance through continuous monitoring.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Assess current audit log exposure

Review existing access permissions to audit log tables and views. Identify users and roles with unnecessary access to sensitive security data.

SHOW GRANTS ON SCHEMA SNOWFLAKE.ACCOUNT_USAGE;

2
Implement role-based access controls

Create dedicated security roles for audit log access and revoke unnecessary permissions from general users. Use Cyera to identify which specific audit tables contain the most sensitive information.

3
Configure secure log shipping

Set up encrypted data streams to export audit logs to secure external systems like SIEM platforms. Implement network-level restrictions and API key rotation policies.

4
Establish continuous monitoring

Deploy automated alerting for unauthorized access attempts to audit logs. Configure Cyera's continuous scanning to detect new exposures and policy violations in real-time.

Architecture & Workflow

Snowflake Account Usage

Source of audit log data and metadata

Cyera Scanner

Analyzes access patterns and identifies exposures

RBAC Engine

Enforces role-based access policies

Security Monitoring

Alerts and incident response workflows

Remediation Flow Summary

Scan Audit Tables → Identify Exposures → Apply Security Controls → Monitor Compliance

Best Practices & Tips

Access Control Strategy

  • Implement principle of least privilege
  • Use service accounts for automated access
  • Regular access reviews and certification

Data Retention Policies

  • Define appropriate log retention periods
  • Implement secure archival processes
  • Balance compliance needs with storage costs

Common Pitfalls

  • Granting broad access to audit schemas
  • Neglecting to encrypt log exports
  • Insufficient monitoring of privileged access

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🛡️ Prevent: Implement proactive audit log security 🔍 Detect: Monitor for audit log exposures