5 Myths about API Security

• My Cloud Provider supplies API Security Protection.
• My WAF automatically protects against API Threats.
• All of my apps – whether open source, commercial off-the-shelf, or custom – handle API Security in the same way.
• To secure my apps, API schema validation is enough.
• APIs automatically update to block attacks.

Why is API Security of Paramount Importance?

APIs are quite common. 77% of companies create and use APIs. APIs could be the most critical security vulnerabilities your organization confronts, whether you are implementing new APIs or using current RESTful APIs. This is due to the fact that they allow direct access to highly sensitive data and functions.

The attack surface is quite vast. With each code iteration, the attack surface changes rapidly. Companies adopt DevOps technique for a speedy launch of the product and push its release. To make this happen, companies deploy code many times per day, as required. This tempo leaves limited or less time for a thorough security checks on each code iteration. DevSecOps tools allow developers to deploy code quicker. Thus, testing, code review, and conflicts about who is in charge of security remain an issue within companies.

Why is API Security so Problematic?

Managing API security used to be simple when infra was simpler. Every app handles API access control differently. For instance, a company could have 30 apps, where each takes a different approach to API security. To maintain the security posture, they would need to become an expert in each strategy.

APIs are a booming target for attackers because they expose crucial business data. The cost of security breach is expensive along with the scarcity of security resources, so, every app must be secured.

Prevent Cybercriminals from Exploiting APIs

Performing API discovery

Companies are often ignoring the entire range of their API attack surface. They may have used undocumented shadow APIs that are hidden from the security team. A vulnerable API paves way to cyberattacks, which leads to data exposure. Hence, all publicly exposed APIs must be accounted for on a regular basis.

Rewriting API calls

Though the underlying API is not made public, cybercriminals find ways to attack it. Cybercriminals examine API structures to seek ways to attack API security weaknesses. Rewrite API calls such that public-facing components do not divulge information about the remainder of the API that could expose sensitive data. Rewrite API calls in such a way that the public-facing components doesn’t give up information about the remaining APIs which could expose critical data.

Detecting Anomalies

Machine learning simulates how the APIs are used in real-time along with how users interact with an app. Anomaly detection is ML-based. It enhances threat detection while decreasing false positives, which increases administrative overhead. It also aids in the detection of behavioural anomalies.

Providing visibility & policy control to the security team

Deploying centralized API security solutions to give the security team visibility into the entire API attack surface. It allows them to create policies and manage incident response. It is important to give the security team the resources they need to build an API security posture across all exposed apps. And also to orchestrate security policy amendments without touching each app.

Optimizing resources

Providing security team with an API security solution that provides comprehensive insight over all APIs, allowing them to spot API issues sooner. It can reduce manual operations by automating routine tasks such as signature or rule setting. Instead of being saddled with boring security responsibilities, this allows security consultants to focus their efforts on creating proven API security standards.

Wrap Up

As the APIs support critical line-of-business functions, and the number of APIs is growing so much, automation is key with ML. ML learns how apps and users behave, to detect anomalies and cut false positives. This is vital for protecting APIs, enabling communication and support mobile apps. ML is also used to block the full range of malicious bot activity.

From WAF to WAAP Organizations deploying API-based apps expose a new attack surface. The traditional WAF has evolved into a modern WAF to secure APIs. The modern WAF is a combo of  Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solution.

A WAAP solution offers the following:

• protects internet-facing APIs,
• eliminates alert fatigue without compromising critical data security transmitting via Web Apps & APIs,
• Uses ML for advanced protection.

Secure Network Solutions (SNS) India is a Trusted Security Partner for 23 years in India. Reach out to us for API Security and other cyber security solutions. Email us via [email protected]

Swathi
Author

Working IT professional and a Cyber Security enthusiast. Passionate to write about Cyber Security topics and Solutions. I share my insights as I study articles and trending topics in the field of Cyber Security.