A Security Practitioner’s Introduction to API Protection

This white paper outlines the security risks associated with APIs and presents five requirements for protecting APIs against attacks. It begins by discussing the role of APIs in modern development, emphasizing their importance in delivering digital services while also highlighting the security challenges they pose. The document details how APIs have become a significant attack surface, with many organizations lacking visibility and control over them. It references the OWASP API Security Top 10 as a critical resource for understanding API vulnerabilities but notes that traditional security measures may not adequately protect against sophisticated API attacks. The paper also explains the limitations of API gateways and security testing tools, emphasizing the need for dedicated API threat protection solutions. Finally, it introduces the concept of API sprawl, including rogue and zombie APIs, and stresses the importance of discovering both known and unknown APIs to enhance security measures.