For API security success, companies need special tools 

In the digital transformation era, Gartner Research predicts that in 2022 (APIs Demand Improved Security and Management), application programming interface (API) attacks will become the most-frequent attack vector.

The enterprise market is embracing value 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐬:

• 📌 Organizations are adopting diverse types of APIs and fine-grained service interfaces, data elements, and private and public APIs.
• 📌 Software engineering leaders are thus tasked with managing the explosion of both known and shadow APIs
• 📌 API security challenges have emerged as a top concern for most software engineering leaders, as unmanaged and unsecured APIs create vulnerabilities that could accelerate multimillion-dollar security incidents.
• 📌 While APIs have tremendously improved access to applications and services in software architectures, the use of third-party APIs introduces dependencies and failure risks, especially for mission-critical applications

Software engineering leaders are rapidly adopting APIs to improve connectivity and enable digitization, but face an increased challenge of securely managing API sprawl. Gartner predictions about the future of APIs enable software engineering leaders to plan for API management and security challenges.

• 📈 By 2025, less than 50% of enterprise APIs will be managed, as explosive growth in APIs surpassesthe capabilities of API management tools.
• 📈 By 2025, more than 50% of enterprises will use GraphQL in production, up from less than 10% in 2021.
• 📈 By 2025, the percentage of third-party APIs used in applications will average 30%, up from less than 10% in 2021, complicating dependency management.
• 📈 By 2024, 25% of all insurance transactions involving new ecosystem partners will require open and public APIs, up from less than 5% in 2021.

And yet many security leaders, when pressed, do not even know how many APIs they have in their environments – never mind their level of security. This makes it difficult to assess the risks and prioritize remediation efforts.

API World is the world’s largest vendor-neutral API conference and expo, organizing the API Economy. For greater API security and more precise boundaries for developers, experts at API World called for developer-focused security tools that dovetail seamlessly into their workflows.

Unmanaged and unsafe APIs create vulnerabilities that could accelerate multi-million dollar security incidents.

Business transformation has increased application development, expanding the B2B and B2C value chain.

• 🔴 In this sense, cyber attacks on APIs have increased by +500% in the last 12 months, impacting the services and data of the Apps.
• 🟢 Let’s consider that the increase in API traffic is only +250%.
• 🟡 The early implementation of Apps in the digital market suggests that cybersecurity is not part of the priorities today, allowing points of risk in the confidentiality of business data.

APIs not only offer your consumers access to your application’s services and data but if not properly secured through multiple layers provides a backdoor into your entire network. That has quickly made API vulnerabilities one of hackers’ favorite targets – endangering your customers, and subjecting your company to potential fines and legal costs. This is why it is so important to understand not only the basics of API security but the layers of API security ranging from client authentication and authorization to DDoS and malicious input detection and prevention, to network firewalls and container security. 

All of the attack vectors against APIs to date have exploited application logic failings. How are adversaries exploiting API security gaps to launch successful attacks? ? What are the top API vulnerabilities, and how are proactive enterprises mitigating them?

A hacked API can lead to a security and privacy breach of your data.

Luckily, there are a number of measures you can take to ensure the safety of your API. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. 👀 Keep your applications up-to-date
2. 👀 Use strong encryption
3. 👀 Use proper authentication
4. 👀 Keep a close eye on user input

Talk to a Security Expert

Arval Technology is a flexible API security solution that prevents unauthorized access to your application and protects it from vulnerabilities against cybercriminal attacks.

1. Arval Technology gives you a specific SDK to add in your mobile app, which notifies Arval Technology Server whenever there is a legitimate API request.
2. Your API logs the legitimate API request to Arval Technology and then either process the request or deletes it.

An insecure API is an easy point of attack for hackers to gain access to business digital assets. Attackers could perform any type of threat, such as DDoS, any type of injection, breach of access control, etc.

Could you give us 30 minutes and our security experts will show you how to protect your ecosystem by implementing Arval Tech?

TALK TO AN EXPERT

References

1. Gartner Research (2021), “Predicts 2022: APIs Demand Improved Security and Management”, https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4009103
2. World API (2022): https://apiworld.co/conference/
3. OWASP API Security Top 10 (2019): https://owasp.org/www-project-api-security/
4. ARVAL Tech (2022): https://arval.tech/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/arval-tech/