Improve instance security by enabling database auditing

MySQL  |  PostgreSQL  |  SQL Server

This page describes how to view and implement recommendations aboutenabling database auditing for instances that don't log userconnections and statements. Database auditing lets you monitor specific useractions in the database to help with security and compliance. Thisrecommender is calledEnable database auditing.

Every day, this recommender proactively detects instances that don'tlog user connections and statements and provides insights and recommendationsto improve your instance security and compliance. You can view insights anddetailed recommendations about these instances by using the Google Cloud console,gcloud CLI, or theRecommender API.

Before you begin

Ensure that youenable the Recommender API.

Required roles and permissions

To get the permissions to view and work with insights and recommendations, ensure that you have the requiredIdentity and Access Management (IAM) roles.

TasksRoles
View recommendationsrecommender.cloudsqlViewer orcloudsql.admin.
Apply recommendationscloudsql.editor orcloudsql.admin.
For more information about IAM roles, seeIAM basic and predefined roles reference andManage access to projects, folders, and organizations.

List the recommendations

To list the recommendations, follow these steps:

Console

To list recommendations about instance security, follow these steps:

  1. Go to theCloud SQL Instances page.

    Go to Cloud SQL Instances

  2. View theIssues column in the instance table.

Alternatively, follow these steps:

  1. Go to theRecommendation Hub.

    Go to the Recommendation Hub

    For more information, seeExploring recommendations.

  2. In theAll recommendations card, clickSecurity.

gcloud

Run thegcloud recommender recommendations list command as follows:

gcloud recommender recommendations list \--project=PROJECT_ID \--location=LOCATION \--recommender=google.cloudsql.instance.SecurityRecommender \--filter=recommenderSubtype=ENABLE_DATABASE_AUDITING

Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: Your project ID.
  • LOCATION: A region where your instances are located, such as us-central1.

API

Call therecommendations.list method as follows:

GET https://recommender.googleapis.com/v1beta1/projects/PROJECT_ID/locations/LOCATION/recommenders/google.cloudsql.instance.SecurityRecommender/recommendations?filter=recommenderSubtype=ENABLE_DATABASE_AUDITING

Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: Your project ID.
  • LOCATION: A region where your instances are located, such asus-central1.

View insights and detailed recommendations

To view insights and detailed recommendations, follow these steps:

Console

After listing the recommendations, click a recommendation.The recommendation panel appears, which contains insights and detailed recommendations.

gcloud

Run thegcloud recommender insights list command as follows:

gcloud recommender insights list \--project=PROJECT_ID \--location=LOCATION \--insight-type=google.cloudsql.instance.SecurityInsight \--filter=insightSubtype=DATABASE_AUDITING_NOT_ENABLED

Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: Your project ID.
  • LOCATION : A region where your instances are located, such asus-central1.

API

Call theinsights.list method as follows:

GET https://recommender.googleapis.com/v1beta1/projects/PROJECT_ID/locations/LOCATION/insightTypes/google.cloudsql.instance.SecurityInsight/insights?filter=insightSubtype=DATABASE_AUDITING_NOT_ENABLED

Replace the following:

  • PROJECT_ID: Your project ID.
  • LOCATION: A region where your instances are located, such asus-central1.

Apply the recommendation

Console

To implement the recommendation, clickEdit Instance andenable database auditing on your instance.

gcloud

To implement the recommendation,enable database auditing on your instance.

API

To implement the recommendation,enable database auditing on your instance.

What's next

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Last updated 2025-07-14 UTC.