By Anjali Amar
Over the past few years, application programming interfaces (APIs) have increasingly emerged as powerful tools in India, facilitating the development of more integrated and dynamic applications atop existing technology. They serve as catalysts for both dynamic software applications and businesses, facilitating the seamless exchange of data. Regulatory mandates, such as open banking in various countries, compel banks to grant API access to customer financial data, fostering competition for the benefit of consumers.
With the proliferation of APIs, come a corresponding rise in cyberattacks. According to a report recently from Cloudflare, ‘API Security and Management,’ APIs now constitute over half (57%) of dynamic Internet traffic, making them a prime target for cyberattacks. Despite numerous warnings, these attacks continue to succeed, underscoring the urgent need for a deeper understanding of API security and a more sophisticated defense strategy. India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion and a rapidly growing economy, has become an attractive target for cybercriminals aiming to steam data through API gateways. Another report by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) found that with an exponential growth in the number of API calls, there is an aggressive increase in abuse of APIs.
Despite APIs’ growing importance in the digital realm, their deployment presents numerous obstacles for businesses and developers. In the last year, API security has encountered difficulties in five critical domains, highlighting the complexity of safeguarding these essential components of modern technology.
Authentication/Authorization Complexity: Many breaches stem from weaknesses in authentication and authorization mechanisms, including compromised credentials and weak authentication methods. Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA) remains a top API security risk.
Proliferation of APIs: The rapid growth of both internal and public-facing APIs presents a steadily increasing challenge due to their diversity and varying contexts of use.
Inadequate WAF (Web Application Firewall): Traditional WAF solutions often fail to effectively handle API-specific traffic, allowing many attacks to bypass detection.
Lack of Shift-Left Approach: Despite recognition of the importance of integrating security early in the development process, many teams still struggle to adopt a proactive security mindset.
API Configuration Issues: Misconfigurations, such as enabling unused methods or leaving default endpoints open, continue to pose significant challenges to API security management.
Knowledge and Expertise Gaps: Many individuals and teams lack the necessary understanding and awareness of API-specific security measures, often due to limited exposure, education, or interest.
Budget Constraints: Organizations face pressure to accomplish more with limited resources, resulting in reluctance to invest in API-specific security tools, training, or expertise.
Priority Conflicts: The urgency of meeting product launch deadlines sometimes takes precedence over ensuring robust security measures, leading to potential vulnerabilities.
How can CISOs secure API?
In the face of constant evolution within the threat landscape, CISOs are increasingly prioritizing the security of API access to counter cyber threats effectively. APIs, essential for seamless data exchange in digital environments, are prime targets for malicious entities due to inherent vulnerabilities. CISOs are tasked with deploying robust strategies, including proactive measures, thorough risk assessments, and advanced security technologies, to protect API access and uphold the integrity of organizational data assets against potential breaches. Here are some effective solutions that CISOs may consider to protect API gateways from attacks:
Enhanced Visibility: Comprehensive visibility into APIs is crucial for effective protection against potential threats.
Adoption of Zero Trust Architecture: Treating every access request as potentially malicious until proven otherwise helps shift the trust paradigm and enhances security.
AI-Driven Anomaly Detection: Leveraging artificial intelligence for real-time anomaly detection enables proactive threat identification and mitigation.
Deeper Integration of DevSecOps: Embedding security seamlessly into the development process is essential for building resilient API ecosystems.
Defense in Depth Strategy: Implementing layered security measures ensures comprehensive protection against various types of attacks.
In navigating the complex landscape of API security, organizations in India must focus on three primary pillars: governance, tools, and people. Governance involves establishing resilient processes, policies, and practices to ensure the effective management of API security. Investing in advanced technologies tailored specifically to API security is crucial for bolstering defenses against evolving threats. Additionally, prioritizing training, conducting thorough testing, and fostering a security-oriented culture among employees are essential components in creating a robust security framework. By addressing these three pillars comprehensively, organizations can better mitigate risks and protect their valuable data assets from potential breaches.
Recognizing the absence of a universal solution, individuals, teams, and organizations must tailor API security measures to fit their risk tolerance, business objectives, and regulatory obligations while learning from past incidents. Transparent sharing of experiences can aid the wider security community. Effective navigation of API security demands a holistic approach, tackling underlying issues and adopting contemporary solutions. Organizations embracing proactive defense strategies will be more resilient against evolving threats. Enforcing rule definitions throughout the API lifecycle is vital for ensuring enduring security.
The author is vice president and country head India and SAARC, Cloudflare
