According to a recent Gartner report, by 2026, over 80% of Australian businesses are likely to incorporate Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) into their operations. Just like every other facet of software development, APIs come with security risks that can expose your business to API vulnerabilities if left unchecked.
API security involves a combination of API protection measures to guard APIs against cyber threats, including potential API threats and attacks. It safeguards sensitive data transmitted by APIs, enhancing the integrity of communications between services for mobile and web applications. This guide introduces the concepts of API security, API compliance, and best practices to protect APIs from threats.
What is API security?
API security is the process of protecting APIs from malicious attacks and unauthorised access. Exposed APIs allow users to interact with accessible objects, enabling them to create, read, update, or delete resources. APIs can inadvertently expand your application’s attack surface without proper API governance. API protection measures are essential to ensure that only authorised users and applications can access and manipulate your APIs.
Due to their exposed endpoints, APIs face unique security challenges that require targeted strategies. API security measures are designed to address API vulnerabilities, such as broken authentication and excessive data exposure, and to mitigate these specific risks.
API Security vs. AppSec
While API security is a subset of application security (AppSec), they are distinct. Traditional AppSec focuses on the security of the entire application, covering code, configurations, and user interactions. In contrast, API security specifically addresses the vulnerabilities unique to APIs. API threats, such as broken object-level authorisation and excessive data exposure, call for specialised API protection tools and practices beyond general application security.
Types of API security
Developers need to be aware of several API security measures, each tailored to different API types:
- REST API Security: REST relies on HTTP methods and URLs to identify resources. To secure client identities, use keys, OAuth tokens, or JSON Web Tokens (JWT). Implementing HTTPS encryption is critical to secure data transmitted between client and server and meet API compliance standards.
- SOAP API Security: SOAP uses protocols like XML, HTTP, and TCP. Securing SOAP APIs requires XML validation to prevent XML injection and WS-Security standards to protect messages.
- GraphQL Security: GraphQL uses a single endpoint for all queries, reducing exposure to API threats. Still, it requires protective measures like authentication, input validation, and query depth limitations to ensure API protection.
Common API security threats
APIs are susceptible to API threats that compromise data security and application integrity. Major threats include:
- Broken Object Level Authorisation (BOLA): Attackers exploit API endpoints to access objects they shouldn’t have access to.
- Broken User Authentication: Inadequate authentication mechanisms allow attackers to compromise user accounts.
- Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS): This attack overwhelms an API with requests, causing service disruptions.
- Lack of Resources and Rate Limiting: Failure to enforce rate limits can lead to Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks.
- Third-Party APIs: Integrating third-party services can introduce API vulnerabilities if not carefully managed and secured.
We shared more information on the top threats in our last blog on API security.
Mitigating API security threats
To mitigate API security risks, developers should implement a combination of strategies:
- Heuristics to Understand Existing Behaviour: Applying heuristics can help identify potential security issues by understanding API behaviour and aiding in detecting API vulnerabilities.
- Contract and Schema Validation: Schema validation ensures incoming requests match expected formats, blocking malicious requests and maintaining API compliance.
- Regular Security Audits and Penetration Testing: Frequent assessments help identify and resolve vulnerabilities, strengthening API protection.
- Central OAuth Server: A central manager for tokens can standardise secure authentication processes.
- JSON Web Tokens (JWTs): JWTs provide a secure, compact way to transmit internal communications.
- Continuous Monitoring and Logging: Detecting and responding to API threats early prevents them from escalating.
These measures help minimise unauthorised access and data breaches, ensuring your APIs remain secure.
Conclusion
Understanding API security vulnerabilities and implementing comprehensive security measures enables you to protect your applications and sensitive data. Regularly updating security practices and conducting thorough assessments support a secure API environment.
Galah Cyber can handle API Security for your business
Neglecting API security can expose your business to substantial risks, including data breaches and financial losses. A robust API security strategy protects sensitive information, ensures API compliance, strengthens API governance, and maintains customer trust. Our experts at Galah Cyber can help you evaluate your API security posture and develop a tailored protection plan.
Securing your systems goes beyond simply following best practices in software development; it requires a holistic approach tailored to your unique needs. At Galah Cyber, we provide expert consultancy, insights into application security, and cost-effective API protection solutions to safeguard your applications, business, and customers.
Whether you’re a startup or a large enterprise, our team can help you navigate the complexities of API security and ensure resilience against evolving API threats. Contact us today to learn more about our API security solutions and how we can protect your business. Visit our Assurance Services page for more details.
