# Ensure Database Admin Users Are Minimized

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/a_179182603330033-ensure-database-admin-users-are-minimized
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [OVH Cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/c_1791819364512367) › [checks](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/f_1791819376721251)
- Last updated: 2026-10-12
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**Description**

Ensure each Public Cloud Database service has as few administrator-level users as possible, and that applications use separate users with only the permissions they need.

**Rationale**

Admin users can read, change, or delete all data and settings in the database. Each extra admin account is another credential that could be leaked or misused. Using least-privilege users for applications limits the damage if one of their passwords is exposed.

**Impact**

-   Limits the impact of a leaked database password
    
-   Applications get only the access they need
    
-   Applications may need new users
    

**Default Value**

When a service is created, one admin user (avnadmin on many engines) is created.

**Pre-Requisites**

-   Permission to manage the database service
    

**Test Plan**

1.  Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel at [https://www.ovh.com/manager/](https://www.ovh.com/manager/).
    
2.  In the left-hand menu, select Public Cloud and choose your project.
    
3.  In the left-hand menu, select Databases (under Databases & Analytics), then click the database service to open it.
    
4.  Open the Users tab and review each user and its roles.
    
5.  If several users have admin rights without a documented need, follow the implementation steps.
    

**Implementation Steps**

1.  Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel at [https://www.ovh.com/manager/](https://www.ovh.com/manager/).
    
2.  In the left-hand menu, select Public Cloud and choose your project.
    
3.  In the left-hand menu, select Databases (under Databases & Analytics), then click the database service to open it.
    
4.  In the Users tab, click + Add user, enter a username, select only the roles the application needs, and click Create User.
    
5.  Update the applications to use the new users.
    
6.  Delete unnecessary admin users from the ⋯ button in the users table.
    

**Backout Plan**

1.  Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel at [https://www.ovh.com/manager/](https://www.ovh.com/manager/).
    
2.  In the left-hand menu, select Public Cloud and choose your project.
    
3.  In the left-hand menu, select Databases (under Databases & Analytics), then click the database service to open it.
    
4.  Re-create the removed user in the Users tab, regenerate its password from the ⋯ button, and update the applications.
    

**Reference**

-   [https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/public-cloud/databases/faq](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/public-cloud/databases/faq)

## Related compliance guidance

- [SOC 2 compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria): Configuration checks like this one are the technical half of a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 programme — the guide shows where they fit, what else an auditor expects, and how to evidence them.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): ISO 27001 Annex A.8 (technological controls) is where cloud hardening evidence lands; the guide shows how to run the ISMS around it.