Configure server- and database-level firewall rules
Implement Always Encrypted
Configure Transport Layer Security (TLS)
Apply a data classification strategy
Configure server and database audits
Implement data change tracking
Implement dynamic data masking
Manage database resources by using Azure Purview
Implement Azure SQL Database ledger
Implement row-level security
Configure Microsoft Defender for SQL
Prepare an operational performance baseline
Determine sources for performance metrics
Interpret performance metrics
Configure and monitor activity and performance