Snowflake Password Exposure Prevention

Learn how to prevent password exposure in Snowflake environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for NIST 800-53 compliance and secure authentication.

unauthorized access

NIST 800-53

snowflake

Why It Matters

The core goal is to implement robust password security measures within your Snowflake environment to prevent credential exposure and unauthorized access. Securing passwords in Snowflake is critical for organizations following NIST 800-53 guidelines, as it helps establish strong authentication controls and reduces the risk of credential-based attacks that could compromise sensitive data.

Primary Risk: Unauthorized access through compromised credentials

Relevant Regulation: NIST 800-53 Security Controls Framework

A comprehensive password protection strategy delivers immediate security improvements, laying the foundation for zero-trust authentication and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • ACCOUNTADMIN role or equivalent
  • SECURITYADMIN privileges for policy management
  • User management permissions

External Tools

  • Snowflake Web UI or SnowSQL
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • MFA authentication setup

Prior Setup

  • Snowflake account provisioned
  • Identity provider configured (if using SSO)
  • Network security policies defined
  • Audit logging enabled

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that continuously monitors your sensitive data and security configurations across cloud services. Using advanced AI and natural language processing (NLP), Cyera can automatically detect weak password policies, identify accounts with elevated privileges, and monitor authentication patterns to prevent password exposure incidents in Snowflake before they lead to data breaches.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure strong password policies

Create and enforce comprehensive password policies that meet NIST guidelines. Set minimum length requirements, complexity rules, and lockout thresholds.

CREATE PASSWORD POLICY strong_password_policy PASSWORD_MIN_LENGTH = 12 PASSWORD_MAX_LENGTH = 256 PASSWORD_MIN_UPPER_CASE_CHARS = 1 PASSWORD_MIN_LOWER_CASE_CHARS = 1 PASSWORD_MIN_NUMERIC_CHARS = 1 PASSWORD_MIN_SPECIAL_CHARS = 1 PASSWORD_MAX_AGE_DAYS = 90 PASSWORD_MAX_RETRIES = 5 PASSWORD_LOCKOUT_TIME_MINS = 30;

2
Enable multi-factor authentication

In the Cyera portal, configure continuous monitoring for authentication events and password policy compliance. Set up alerts for weak passwords, failed authentication attempts, and policy violations.

3
Implement network security policies

Configure IP allowlists and network policies to restrict access to trusted locations. Set up conditional access rules that require additional verification for suspicious login patterns.

4
Monitor and audit authentication events

Review authentication logs regularly, establish baseline patterns for normal access, and configure automated alerting for anomalous login behavior. Schedule periodic password policy compliance reviews.

Architecture & Workflow

Snowflake Authentication

Core password policies and MFA enforcement

Network Security Policies

IP allowlists and conditional access rules

Cyera Monitoring

Continuous compliance and threat detection

Audit & Response

Logging, alerting, and incident response

Security Flow Summary

Policy Creation → MFA Enforcement → Continuous Monitoring → Threat Response

Best Practices & Tips

Password Policy Management

  • Implement account-level default policies
  • Use role-based password requirements
  • Regular policy compliance audits

Authentication Security

  • Enforce MFA for all human users
  • Use service accounts for applications
  • Implement session timeout policies

Common Pitfalls

  • Allowing single-factor authentication
  • Overly permissive network policies
  • Ignoring failed authentication alerts

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔍 Detect: Monitor password policy violations 🔧 Fix: Remediate compromised credentials