Can I use field-level encryption without rewriting my application?

Baffle does this by sitting as a proxy layer between your app and the database, so no code changes are needed. CipherStash Protect requires schema configuration using its csTable and csColumn API, but gives you searchable encryption in return. The tradeoff is control versus friction.

Is CIS Benchmark enforcement for SQL Server safe to run on production systems?

CalCom CHS has a Learning Mode that simulates policy impact before enforcement, which is specifically designed to prevent production outages. It also includes one-click rollback. That said, you should still test in a staging environment first, especially for legacy SQL Server versions with custom configurations.

What should I look for in a database security tool if I'm primarily running Snowflake?

ALTR is built specifically around Snowflake and covers policy management, masking, tokenization, and activity monitoring in one platform. Most general-purpose DAM tools have limited or no Snowflake support. If Snowflake is your primary data warehouse, ALTR is the most purpose-fit option on this list.

Do any of these tools support AI or LLM workloads querying databases?

Aurva has explicit features for this: AI Security Posture Management and Agentic Access Monitoring. As LLM agents increasingly query production databases directly, standard DAM tools won't have the context to distinguish a legitimate agent query from an anomalous one. This is an emerging gap worth planning for.

Database Security Tools Worth Evaluating in 2026

Q: Compare Database Security Tools Side by Side

[Compare Database Security Tools Side by Side](/compare)

Q: How do I protect against a DBA or admin who has legitimate database credentials?

This is the insider threat problem most tools ignore. Cord3 is specifically built for this: it uses encryption keys that are inaccessible even to administrators and enforces per-request authorization for every user including privileged ones. Standard DAM tools log what admins do but don't prevent access.

Q: Browse All Database Security Tools

[Browse All Database Security Tools](/tools)

Introduction

Database security is one of those areas where teams consistently underinvest until something breaks. A misconfigured SQL Server, an over-privileged service account, unencrypted PII sitting in a dev clone. These are the vectors that show up in breach reports year after year.

The tooling landscape has matured significantly. You're no longer choosing between a clunky on-prem DAM appliance and writing your own audit triggers. Modern database security tools cover activity monitoring, field-level encryption, configuration hardening, and data classification, sometimes in the same platform. The hard part is figuring out which one actually fits your environment.

This list covers seven tools worth a serious look in 2026. Some are purpose-built for specific databases like PostgreSQL or SQL Server. Others take a platform approach across multiple data stores. A few are doing genuinely interesting things with encryption that don't require you to rewrite your application. We've pulled the real feature data so you can cut through the marketing and figure out what each one actually does.

Compare Database Security Tools Side by Side

1. ALTR Data Security Platform

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ALTR is a cloud-native data security platform built heavily around Snowflake, offering policy management, data masking, tokenization, and real-time activity monitoring from a single control plane. It handles the full lifecycle from discovery and classification through enforcement and audit. If your data warehouse is Snowflake and you need governance controls without stitching together five separate tools, this is worth a close look.

Key Highlights

Format-preserving encryption (FPE) and tokenization for sensitive fields without breaking downstream queries
Automated data discovery and classification to find PII before it finds you
Object tagging-based policy application so rules follow the data, not just the table
Secure data cloning for non-production environments, a common gap in most orgs
Centralized audit trails and access logging mapped to NIST PR.DS and DE.CM

Learn more about ALTR Data Security Platform and find alternatives

2. Aurva Database Activity Monitoring

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Aurva goes beyond traditional DAM by combining database activity monitoring with data flow tracking, identity security, and AI security posture management in one platform. It covers detection and response, not just logging. If you're running cloud-native workloads and need visibility into how data moves between services and who's touching it, Aurva's breadth is notable.

Key Highlights

Data Flow Monitoring to track sensitive data movement across services, not just within a single database
AccessIQ for identity security, mapping who has access to what and flagging over-privilege

3. Baffle Advanced Data Protection

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Baffle sits as a proxy layer between your application and your database, applying AES-256 encryption, tokenization, and format-preserving encryption without requiring any application code changes. It integrates with AWS Lambda for serverless environments and supports bring-your-own-key (BYOK). If your team can't touch the application code but still needs field-level encryption, Baffle solves a real problem.

Key Highlights

No application code modification required, encryption is applied transparently at the data layer
Field-level and file-level encryption with AES-256 and FPE support

4. CalCom CHS for SQL Server

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CalCom CHS is a hardening automation tool specifically for SQL Server, enforcing CIS Benchmark policies across your fleet without breaking production workloads. The Learning Mode is the standout feature: it simulates policy impact before you enforce anything, which is how you avoid a 3am rollback. Purpose-built for SQL Server shops running hybrid environments.

Key Highlights

Learning Mode simulates hardening policy impact on production before any enforcement happens
CIS Benchmark-based policy enforcement with one-click rollback if something breaks

5. Certera SSL Tools

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Certera SSL Tools is a free utility for SSL/TLS certificate inspection and validation. It's a lightweight option for checking certificate configurations, expiry, and chain issues. Useful as a quick diagnostic tool, though it's not a full database security platform.

Key Highlights

Free to use with no licensing cost
SSL/TLS certificate inspection and validation
Useful for quick diagnostics on database connection encryption

6. CipherStash Protect

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CipherStash Protect does field-level encryption for PostgreSQL with a feature most tools skip: searchable encryption. You can run equality and free-text searches on encrypted columns without decrypting first. It uses a zero-knowledge key management model (ZeroKMS) where each value gets its own unique data key, and every access is logged in an immutable, cryptographically proven audit trail.

Key Highlights

Searchable encryption on encrypted PostgreSQL columns, equality and free-text search without decryption
Zero-knowledge key management via ZeroKMS with a unique data key per value

7. Cord3

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Cord3 focuses on a specific and underaddressed problem: protecting data from privileged insiders, including DBAs and admins who hold valid credentials. It uses transparent encryption with keys that are inaccessible even to administrators, and enforces per-request access authorization for every user. Agentless deployment means no endpoint software to manage.

Key Highlights

Admin-inaccessible encryption keys, protecting against privileged credential misuse and insider threats
Per-request access authorization for all users, including DBAs and system admins

How to Choose the Right Tool

Database security tools solve different problems. Buying the wrong one means you've spent budget on coverage you already have while leaving real gaps open. Before you evaluate anything, get clear on what you're actually trying to fix: is it visibility, encryption, hardening, compliance, or insider threat? The answer changes the shortlist significantly.

Database coverage: Some tools are purpose-built for one engine. CalCom CHS is SQL Server only. CipherStash Protect is PostgreSQL-specific. ALTR is built around Snowflake. If you're running a mixed environment with MySQL, Oracle, and Postgres, you need a platform that covers all of them or you'll end up managing multiple tools.
Encryption approach and application impact: Baffle applies encryption transparently without code changes. CipherStash requires schema-level configuration but gives you searchable encryption in return. Know whether your team can modify application code before you commit to an approach. Transparent proxy encryption is lower friction but may have performance tradeoffs.
Deployment model: Cloud-only tools like ALTR, Aurva, Baffle, and CipherStash won't work if you have on-prem databases with strict data residency requirements. Cord3 and CalCom CHS support hybrid and on-prem deployments. Match the tool's deployment model to where your data actually lives.
Insider threat vs. external threat focus: Most DAM tools are built to catch external attackers or detect anomalous queries. Cord3 is specifically designed to protect against privileged insiders, including admins with valid credentials. If your threat model includes a rogue DBA or a compromised service account with elevated privileges, that distinction matters.
Compliance requirements: If you're targeting PCI-DSS, HIPAA, or SOC 2, check which NIST controls each tool covers. Tools like Aurva and ALTR map explicitly to ID.AM, PR.DS, and DE.CM. CalCom CHS covers PR.PS (Platform Security) through CIS Benchmark enforcement. Map your compliance gaps to the NIST categories before you start demos.
Team size and operational overhead: A three-person security team can't babysit a tool that generates 10,000 alerts a day. Aurva's DDR and Cord3's agentless deployment are worth noting for lean teams. CalCom's Learning Mode reduces the risk of hardening-related outages, which matters if you don't have a dedicated DBA on call.
Key management and custody: If your organization has strict requirements around who controls encryption keys, look at BYOK support (Baffle) and zero-knowledge key management (CipherStash ZeroKMS). Cord3's admin-inaccessible key model is relevant if you need to demonstrate that even your own DBAs can't access plaintext data.
AI and modern workload support: If you're running LLM-backed applications or agentic workflows that query your databases, Aurva's AI Security Posture Management and Agentic Access Monitoring are features you won't find in most traditional DAM tools. This is a real gap as AI workloads proliferate.

Frequently Asked Questions

DAM watches what's happening in real time: queries, logins, data access patterns. DSPM looks at how your databases are configured and whether sensitive data is exposed or misclassified. Aurva covers both. Most legacy DAM tools only do the first.

Conclusion

Database security doesn't have a single right answer. It has a right answer for your stack, your team size, your threat model, and your compliance requirements. A Snowflake-heavy data team has different needs than a SQL Server shop running on-prem with strict key custody requirements. The tools on this list are genuinely different from each other, which is the point. Evaluate them against your actual gaps, not a generic checklist. And if you're not sure where your gaps are, start with discovery and classification before you buy anything else.

Browse All Database Security Tools

Database Security Tools Worth Evaluating in 2026

Introduction

1. ALTR Data Security Platform

Key Highlights

2. Aurva Database Activity Monitoring

Key Highlights

3. Baffle Advanced Data Protection

Key Highlights

4. CalCom CHS for SQL Server

Key Highlights

5. Certera SSL Tools

Key Highlights

6. CipherStash Protect

Key Highlights

7. Cord3

Key Highlights

How to Choose the Right Tool

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

DISCOVER

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