Why is database security so important? For a company that has suffered a serious data breach, it boils down to monetary and reputation damage in many forms—business disruption, bad publicity, stiff fines for noncompliance, and undermined confidence with the existing base of customers, partners, and employees. But most damaging of all is the trouble that it creates when it comes to signing up new customers. When a company’s reputation has taken a beating, a data breach creates a steep hill for sales and business development to climb. That’s why data security in general and database security in particular are a crucial part of any company’s overall corporate health.