As API attacks become more common, it's important to understand what they are and how to protect your APIs. API attacks are a type of cyberattack that targets a programmatic interface, typically an application programming interface (API), to steal data, fraud, or ATO - Account Take Over. API attacks can be carried out in a number of ways, but the most common is a malicious actor spoofing a legitimate user's credentials to gain access to the API.
API attacks can have serious consequences, including data breaches, fraud, and ATO - Account Take Over.
API attacks are on the rise and becoming more sophisticated. Here’s what you need to know to protect your APIs from attacks.
What are API attacks?
API attacks can be carried out in a number of ways, but the most common is a malicious actor spoofing a legitimate user’s credentials to gain access to the API. Once these malicious actors have access, they can start extracting data or launching attacks.
Why are API attacks becoming more common?
There are a few reasons why API attacks are on the rise.
These include:
- More and more businesses are exposing APIs to enable third-party developers to build integrations with their applications. This gives malicious actors more opportunities to exploit APIs.
- APIs are often less protected than other parts of an application. They may not have in place the same level of security controls, such as authentication and authorization.
- API attacks can be highly effective. They can give attackers a way to bypass security controls and gain access to sensitive data.
How can you protect your APIs from attacks?
There are a number of steps you can take to protect your APIs from attack:
Implement authentication and authorization: Ensure that only authorized users are able to access your APIs. This can be done through authentication, such as OAuth, and authorization, such as role-based access control.
Use encryption: Encrypt data in transit to and from your APIs to protect them from being intercepted by attackers.
Monitor activity on your APIs: Look for any suspicious activity that could indicate an attack. This can be done using a web application firewall (WAF) tool. Keep your APIs up to date with the latest security patches to prevent attackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities.
Check the validation in your APIs to see all your connections: Nowadays, it's very difficult to know all the business logic and the endpoints that your APIs have.
In addition, you can check out our BLST tool, which finds broken logic in your API and maps it. Our online mapper shows you how your API works and helps you understand it.
You can use the detailed information to find all the code bits or parameters in your API that aren't working properly: https://www.blstsecurity.com
By taking all of these steps, you can help protect your APIs from attack.
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