DEV Community: Marie Pettit

The rise and rise of the API economy (and why it won’t stop)

Marie Pettit — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:38:07 +0000

Application programming interfaces (APIs) have become powerful engines of corporate growth in recent years, that they are no longer merely a technical tool but, for many organisations, a crucial component of their overall enterprise strategy. An API is an application or service that acts as a software middleman to allow other programs or services to send requests to it and receive results. The terms of the request and response, including the data's structure, necessary data, protocol, and security settings, will be specified by the API.

The idea that digital assets may become commodities and that their worth can be increased by making them easily accessible and interactive is embodied in the API economy. This idea is made possible by APIs, by offering standardised interfaces through which software programs can easily exchange information and services.

Though APIs have existed for many years, the API economy was born from their growing presence. Effective data exchange is becoming increasingly necessary as cloud computing, mobile apps, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are popular. Because of this, APIs are now essential tools that let programmers create robust, networked applications. Using these strong relationships to forge new paths and spur expansion is the essence of the API economy.

Application programming interfaces (APIs) are the building blocks of modern applications. Think of them as the on-ramps to the digital world. They keep everyone connected to vital data and services, enable all sorts of critical business operations, and make digital transformation possible.

The value chain of the API economy makes a company's internal assets accessible not only to internal users but also to business partners, outside developers, and members of the public. Companies can now broaden their scope; they are no longer restricted to their final consumers or goods. Comparably, as a digital service provider, you can reduce the bar considerably for potential customers to integrate and use your services, enabling them to accelerate their development and growth.

This article explores the rise of the API economy and its prospects for the future.

Drivers of the API Economy

• Digital Transformation: APIs are essential for helping organisations develop and change as they work to adjust to the digital era. By easing the integration of outdated systems with contemporary applications, businesses can adopt new technologies and capitalise on their current infrastructure.

• Developer-Friendly: APIs are developer-friendly; software engineers may create and integrate applications more easily using API documentation and standardised protocols. Developers can quickly add new features, integrate external services into a product, and save time and resources by launching and testing a new feature in days rather than months.

• Prospects for Monetisation: New business models have emerged due to the API economy. Businesses can charge for their APIs by selling them as goods or services. This raises the value of digital assets and creates a new source of income.

• Building Ecosystems: With APIs, businesses can create ecosystems around their goods and services. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, for example, have extensively used APIs to support developer communities and provide a wide range of third-party apps and integrations.

• Customer-Centric Approach: By enabling smooth interactions and connections, APIs enable companies to provide their clients greater value. This customer-focused strategy promotes and keeps users, which fosters enduring loyalty.

The Future of the API Economy

There's no indication that the API economy will slow down. Technology is expected to stimulate innovation and further permeate several industries as it develops. The API economy is anticipated to keep growing for the following reasons:

• Global Connectivity: APIs are how the globe is getting increasingly connected. APIs will become increasingly important in enabling data interchange with the development of 5G, edge computing, and satellite internet.

• Emerging Technologies: To fully realise their potential, innovations like blockchain, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence will need APIs. With APIs, businesses can quickly embrace and modify this cutting-edge technology.

• Regulatory Support: Governments and regulatory agencies are realising how crucial APIs are to fostering innovation and competition. Standards and laws are being passed to encourage the secure and safe use of APIs.

• Cross-Industry Collaboration: APIs will open up new avenues for collaboration as industries get more integrated. For instance, wearable technology businesses and the healthcare industry can collaborate to enhance patient outcomes.

• Growth of the Developer Community: More developers are joining the tech industry, and the developer community is growing quickly. The need for APIs and innovative uses for them will increase due to this growth.

Conclusion

APIs facilitate communication between various software components and let companies build ecosystems around their services, and they are the foundation of the current digital economy. Businesses need to reconsider their approach if they want to be agile enough to provide digital innovation at the speed of business in the API economy. Successful businesses can quickly adopt the newest technological advancements and expand their reach into a wider ecosystem than their rivals.

How AI is Revolutionizing the Fight Against IP Theft and Insider Threats

Marie Pettit — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:25:56 +0000

It’s important to keep workers happy. Just how much may be determined by the number of Intellectual Property (IP) Theft attempts by disgruntled former employees. However, artificial intelligence (AI) is making catching – and thwarting – these attempts so much easier.

How Intellectual Property Gets Away

According to data security firm Cyberhaven, there are several ways intellectual property theft occurs.

Unauthorized Access | A sophisticated exploit – or a simple stolen password – can grant an unauthorized user illicit access to sensitive information.
Misappropriation of Disclosures | When information gets passed to third parties in the course of business, non-disclosure agreements typically follow. Break those, and you could be guilty of trade secret theft.
Employee Abuse | During times of layoffs, typically benign employees can go rogue. Tempted by outside threat actors looking to prey on their fear and discontent, they can be lured to divulge intellectual property they otherwise would have kept safe. Good old discontent can engender this reaction, as well. Discouragingly, it is reported that 75% of employees have stolen from their employer. In the midst of the digital revolution, how is a trade secret any different from a stapler when it comes to moral dilemmas?

The Sneaky Ways of Insider IP Theft

Intellectual property theft occurs when copyrighted, trademarked, or otherwise proprietary data is illicitly used by anyone other than its rightful owner. Many times, this means sneaking sensitive data out of a protected network via convoluted digital back alleyways. With every new save in every new location, the trail gets a little more lost. Finally, it ends up for sale on a Dark Web forum and no one really knows how it got there. Well, one particular employee might.

The problem comes when you have a network-centric – not data-centric – security stance. More and more, this is becoming outmoded, for several reasons.

Network-centric security protects the location. If that “wall” is hacked, everything inside is up for grabs. Data-centric security, on the other hand, goes wherever the data goes. It often comes in the form of Data Detection and Response (DDR), and this is how it works.

Digging into DRM

Digital Rights Management (DRM) does a lot to change that network-centricity. DRM tools allow you to place protections directly on the intellectual property itself, blocking access to non-authorized recipients, and even dictating what the intended recipient can and cannot do. Don’t want them to copy and paste? No screenshots allowed? Is this View Only? You can add all those specifications in.

What about when your intended recipient gets a layoff notice one week later? Immediately deny access to the files you’ve already sent, even if they were able to access them before. This keeps trade secrets safe in a business deal, allowing you complete protective control until the ink is dry.

DRM allows a sliding scale of trust to be put into place – think of it as the business-side of the Principle of Least Privilege – so that when you send out sensitive data, you always have the upper hand. This not only prevents vital information from falling into the wrong hands, but it prevents potentially nefarious inside actors from carrying out their plans.

How AI is Improving DRM

Now, mix AI with Digital Rights Management and you can do even more to protect intellectual property and the rights of trademark owners, copyright holders, and the corporations and economies they support.

Here’s how.

AI in Image Recognition | AI’s ability to quickly place visual content – out of a swath of multimedia assets across the entirety of the internet – is a boon to DRM tools looking to locate instances of copyrighted material being used without explicit consent. Image Recognition picks up on instances of Watermarking, in which indistinguishable features of ownership have been embedded into the media files, allowing it to catch illegal reproductions. AI capabilities can also extend to automatically initiate take-down requests.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) Delivers Context | DRM can only stop as many instances of copyright abuse as it can find, and the internet has at least 630 billion words (and up to 100 trillion if Reddit is to be believed). NLP provides a way to analyze text data to spot instances of copyright infringement and can also make allowances for more nuanced uses, such as in multiple news outlets simply covering the same topic (as opposed to copying each other’s work).

Catching Up to Criminals

IP Theft is rampant, with criminal arrests for the crime up by 36%. However, as attackers level up, so can we. Thanks to the power of AI-enhanced detection tools, perpetrators of IP Theft can run, but they can’t hide. At least not as well as they used to before. And at the rate AI is developing, they may not even be able to do that for long.

Web Apps and API attacks: The new danger for banks

Marie Pettit — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:14:04 +0000

The banking sector has seen a profound transition in the digital age, embracing online apps and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to deliver smooth and convenient customer service. While these technological developments have transformed the banking process, they have also given cybercriminals new opportunities to exploit weaknesses and conduct sophisticated assaults. If not adequately protected, web apps and APIs may become a bank's security infrastructure's weak points.

Web apps and APIs have become crucial components of the financial ecosystem as online banking and mobile apps gain in popularity. Customers can access their accounts, transfer money, pay bills, and complete other financial operations using web apps as the interface. Contrarily, APIs allow for smooth interaction between various financial systems and outside applications, enhancing the banking experience with specialised services. While there is no denying that these technological developments have increased the effectiveness and accessibility of banking services, they have also created new security risks. Banks must keep ahead of the curve when protecting their systems and client data since cybercriminals constantly develop inventive ways to exploit possible gaps in web apps and APIs.

Though it can never be completely ruled out, taking money outright from a physical bank is very much a "last century" strategy. Personal data is the currency of choice for cybercriminals today, and the web applications that clients, business partners, and workers use to accomplish a variety of online financial transactions serve as attack surfaces. Overall, banking is the third-most attacked vertical when it comes to web apps and APIs, with 15% of the total accounted for by these threats. This blog covers the web apps and API landscape and threats posed to the banking sector.

Bad actors are tenacious and continue to find new and unexpected ways to attack. With reliance on APIs at an all-time high and critical business outcomes relying upon them, it is even more imperative that organizations build and implement a strong API security strategy.

Web App Vulnerabilities

Web applications frequently rely on complicated codebases, which leaves them open to several security flaws. Typical web application vulnerabilities include:

● Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): XSS attacks include inserting malicious scripts into websites that other users view, allowing attackers to steal sensitive data, such as login credentials or personal information.

● SQL injection (SQLI) is an attack that uses improperly sanitised inputs to insert malicious SQL queries, potentially granting attackers unauthorised access to databases containing sensitive client data.

● Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): CSRF attacks persuade users to erroneously conduct harmful actions on trusted websites, resulting in unauthorised transfers or transactions.

● Session Hijacking: Attackers may take over an active user session to access a target account and carry out unauthorised acts.

● Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR): To access unauthorised data, attackers modify object references, such as account numbers or transaction IDs.

API Security Risks

APIs link many systems and apps, making them a top target for hackers looking to exploit security flaws in the financial infrastructure. Since the rapid expansion of APIs is outpacing the capabilities of API management solutions, by 2025, less than 50% of APIs will be manageable. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) compiled a list of the top 10 most critical API security vulnerabilities, some of which are addressed below, in response to the rise in API security risks.

● Inadequate Authentication and Authorisation: Inadequate authentication and authorisation systems may permit unauthorised access to private consumer information and transactions.

● Inadequate Object-Level Authorisation: Inadequate object-level access restrictions can provide hackers access to confidential information.

● Absence of Rate Limiting: Without rate limiting, attackers might overwhelm APIs with many requests, disrupting services or exposing data.

● Poorly secured APIs may unintentionally expose sensitive client data due to faulty error handling or response formats.

● Integration Vulnerabilities: Attackers may target the weakest link in the integration chain if third-party integrations with APIs are used.

Mitigating Web App and API Gaps

Even though they use development best practices and scanning tools, development teams nevertheless significantly impact security because it is inevitable that any software will ship with flaws. APIs are the same. Since APIs are associated with quick development methodologies and frequent release cycles, one could argue that APIs are more prone to gaps since dev teams may forgo security to meet deadlines.

Runtime protection is essential to stop any vulnerability from being exploited in production. However, relying entirely on runtime protection forces you to engage in a fictitious game of whack-a-mole. Dev teams must continuously find and close gaps to strengthen security posture. A runtime API security solution may offer a practical perspective on vulnerabilities with insightful recommendations for effective remediation. The gaps that an actual attacker has attempted to exploit are what these insights are, not just recommended practises and the detection of theoretical weaknesses. These are all crucial details that development teams need to prioritise and swiftly fill gaps, and a solution can and should offer them, along with recommendations on how to do so.

An API security solution should analyse APIs to uncover gaps before an attacker does to let developers proactively patch up potential vulnerabilities while honing their API security best practices.

Conclusion

The banking sector has changed thanks to web apps and APIs, which now give clients access to financial services like never before. But as these technologies are used more frequently, banks are now in danger of new and developing cybersecurity threats. Banks can protect their systems, client data, and reputation from the constant threat of web app and API attacks by being aware of the potential risks and implementing preventative security measures. It is crucial to be watchful in the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats and to invest in solid security practices to ensure the trust and safety of financial services in the digital age.

Why SASE Will Change Security Forever

Marie Pettit — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 15:48:43 +0000

Changes to the cybersecurity landscape are frequent due to the tireless work of security professionals in perfecting and streamlining existing technologies, as well as coming up with new and innovative security measures. While new products, services, information, and tactics are constantly becoming available, it is much rarer to see a single development with the ability to rock the cybersecurity world to its core. Secure access service edge (SASE) is one such development. In order to properly comprehend why SASE has the potential to disrupt cybersecurity so thoroughly, it is necessary to first understand what it is and how it works.

Defining SASE

The traditional setup of most businesses has involved workers located in an office and data stored in secure data centers. This arrangement lends itself to certain security measures and methods that work best when device and application users are in one location and their apps and data are also in a central location. However, the trend in the last few years has been a massive shift in favor of remote and hybrid working and cloud storage and computing. This means that employees are spread out, in offices as well as at home and in other locations, and apps and data are spread out across the cloud.

What SASE does is take into account the fact that users and data are widely dispersed and attempt to consolidate and centralize security controls. Whereas physical data centers have dedicated security hardware, cloud storage and computing require a different approach to security; the same is true of remote work in comparison to having employees on-premises. Because there are so many different processes, technologies, and endpoints at play, it is important to be able to make sense of security controls. SASE puts security controls in one place to protect users both in the office and at home, and apps and data both in data centers and in the cloud.

Benefits of SASE

There are a number of ways in which SASE is an improvement over traditional security, factors that are driving the adoption of SASE among businesses. Whereas integrated appliances have been a useful way to somewhat consolidate security controls, organizations are still left with multiple discrete devices to manage; SASE, on the other hand, completely converges these controls in one place. The single-vendor approach to SASE also saves businesses the trouble of juggling multiple separate contracts with various vendors of security products and services.

SASE addresses and solves many of the issues that come along with traditional security approaches. Appliance sprawl is eliminated by the convergence of security controls. The costs of transport, data center aggregation, and communication delays are at least mitigated by the lack of backhauled traffic flows. IT complexity and the onus on IT staff are reduced due to SASE’s consistent policy enforcement. SASE supports growth and development of technology over time, allows for effective scaling, and provides client security. The use of the principle of least privilege and zero-trust network access are crucial to SASE and extremely important for enterprise security. SASE makes network, device, and data security easier and stronger, saves security teams a great deal of time and effort, and accounts for many of the challenges of securing a business.

SASE Adoption Tips

SASE can be a game changer for businesses, but as with all security solutions and tactics, it is necessary to take steps to implement it properly. Ensuring that your SASE meets your needs requires first understanding what those needs are: what use cases would be relevant for your organization, what security problems need to be addressed, and what your goals are in adopting SASE. It is also necessary to assess your current security environment and identify gaps. This includes taking a look at the security infrastructure and finding where it falls short and where it may pose difficulties for SASE adoption.

Because of SASE’s single-vendor approach combining various services “meant to monitor and route employee web traffic to ensure data protection and user access to the appropriate resources,” it is vital to do sufficient research into which SASE provider is the best fit for you and your business. There are no one-size-fits-all security solutions, and each vendor will have its own benefits and services offered. Adopting SASE means finding a vendor that meets the unique needs of your business and closes the gaps that exist in your current security strategy.

Conclusion

Many of the security solutions and tactics that businesses have been using for years were designed with one kind of environment in mind, where users consisted of employees centralized in one office and apps and data were stored in physical data centers. As remote and hybrid working arrangements and cloud-based apps and data have gained more popularity, it has become clear that cybersecurity must adapt to work for a wider range of situations. SASE provides converged security controls that streamline many of the processes involved in protecting a business and its data. This development solves a great number of the problems that accompany traditional security strategies and has the potential to disrupt the cybersecurity market.

Keeping Data Secure in Cloudtech & DevOps

Marie Pettit — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 15:53:30 +0000

Data security has always been a key concern for businesses. The move to cloud technology and DevOps only exacerbates this concern. However, with the right strategy and technology, businesses can ensure data safety in the Cloud Tech/DevOps environment.

Cloud computing and DevOps have revolutionized the way companies store and manage data. But with the convenience of cloud technology comes the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks. This article describes best practices for data security in Cloudtech/DevOps.

Understanding the Importance of Data Security in Cloudtech/DevOps

In the age of digital transformation, the speed of business processes is of paramount importance. Cloud technologies and DevOps practices are ubiquitous because they can expedite development cycles and enhance operational capability. However, as data moves to cloud environments and is shared across multiple teams, the risk of data breaches and security incidents increases. Let's first look at some of the key risks in Cloud and DevOps.

Key Risks in Cloud and DevOps

Understanding the key risks of cloud technology and DevOps is the first step to developing an effective security strategy. Cloud or DevOps offers many benefits, including improved collaboration, greater accessibility, mobility, storage capacity, etc. However, they also present security risks. Here are some of the most common security risks

Data Breaches

Data breaches can occur for various reasons, like weak access controls, misconfigurations, and advanced persistent threats. In a DevOps environment, CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous delivery) pipelines can expose sensitive data, increasing the risk of data breaches.

Misconfigurations

As mentioned, misconfiguration of cloud environments is one of the leading causes of data breaches. In their rush to adopt DevOps practices, teams can overlook the right configuration, leading to possible vulnerabilities.

For example, a company has configured a CI/CD system to automatically deploy applications to servers in the cloud. However, due to a misconfiguration, the system accidentally leaks sensitive configuration files and sensitive information such as API keys and database credentials to the internet. An attacker who discovers this misconfiguration could use these secrets to gain unauthorized access to an organization`s systems and steal user data.

Insider Threats

Insider threats are a serious problem in DevOps environments. Developers have access to highly sensitive operational data, increasing the risk of accidental or intentional data breaches.
For example, consider a software company that follows the DevOps model. In this model, developers have access to sensitive data such as source code, production credentials, and even customer data.
Now imagine that one of the developers accidentally inserted a section of code into the version control system that contained security gaps such as hardcoded passwords. This is an example of an accidental insider threat. Malicious attackers can exploit this vulnerability, potentially leading to data breaches.

Or imagine a disgruntled developer intentionally inserting malicious code or omitting sensitive data for personal gain or harm to the company. This is an example of an intentional insider
threat.

In either scenario, a breach occurs within an organization and can cause significant damage to operations, reputation, and customer trust. Addressing insider threats is therefore a critical aspect of security in a DevOps environment.

Implementing Security Strategies in Cloudtech/DevOps

Despite the risks, multiple strategies can be arrayed to protect data in the Cloud Tech/DevOps environment. Let's take a look at it.

Security by Design
Security should be considered an early bird in the DevOps pipeline. By implementing security controls initially in development, companies can ensure that their applications are inherently secure.

For example, think about a company developing a brand-new web application. Instead of performing security tests after the application has been built, incorporate security testing into all phases of development. Every time code is committed, automated security testing tools are launched, ensuring that vulnerabilities are found and fixed quickly.

By doing it this way, companies can protect their applications from the outset rather than attempting to "improve" security later. Finding and fixing problems early on lowers the risk of vulnerabilities in the finished product and conserves time and resources.

Many businesses consider it critical to their cybersecurity strategy to track the movement of sensitive data and monitor how end users access it. "Before the ubiquity of cloud platforms and hybrid work, this was done with an on-premises data loss prevention tool." To meet the challenges of a distributed workforce, this category is bound to grow, but this transition has been slow and uneven across the industry.

Use of Encryption and Tokenization

Encryption and tokenization can be passed down to protect sensitive data at rest and in movement. These technologies ensure that even if data is hijacked or accessed illegally, it cannot be decrypted.

When it comes to Cloudtech/DevOps, encryption can be applied to protect sensitive data in storage (stored in a database or storage system) and in motion (stored in a database or storage system) transmission between different systems or across networks).

For example, when storing customer data in a cloud-based database, companies can encrypt the data using an encryption algorithm such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) and store the data encrypted. This way, even if an attacker gains unauthorized access to the database, they won't be able to understand the encrypted data without the decryption key.
Tokenization, on the other hand, is a technique used to replace sensitive data with non-sensitive placeholders called tokens. Sensitive data is securely stored in a separate location known as a token store, while the tokens themselves are used in applications and systems. The token serves as a reference or replacement for the original sensitive data.

In a Cloudtech/DevOps context, tokens can be applied to protect sensitive data when it needs to be processed or transmitted.

For example, consider an e-commerce application that needs to process credit card transactions. Instead of storing the actual credit card numbers in the application's database or transmitting them over the network, the application can encrypt the credit card numbers.

Encrypted credit card numbers can be securely stored and transmitted, while the actual ones are stored in a separate token vault. This way, even if the database or network is compromised, the attacker will only have access to the encrypted data, which is useless without access to the token store, statements and actual credit card numbers.

Implementing Identity and Access Management (IAM)

IAM tools help to manage user identities and curb access to resources. By implementing powerful IAM policies, organizations can reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Consider a business that stores and manages its data in the cloud. They have a group of workers who require access to multiple cloud-based resources, including virtual servers, storage stacks of data, and databases.

The business uses specialized IAM tools supplied by the cloud service provider to implement IAM policies in order to maintain data security. Utilizing these tools, administrators can define and handle user identities and the privileges and access levels attached to each user.

Regular Audits and Compliance Checks

Regular audits and compliance checks help determine possible security gaps and ensure all security policies are followed.

For example, consider a firm that has moved its applications and infrastructure to the cloud. They store private customer data in their cloud environment, such as financial and personal information. They use a range of security measures like firewalls, access control, and encryption to maintain the highest level of security.

However, the company routinely performs audits and compliance checks to ensure that its security practices remain effective over time. To find any potential vulnerabilities or deviations from industry standards or legal requirements, these assessments thoroughly examine their security controls, policies, and procedures.

Conclusion

The move to cloud technology and DevOps brings many benefits, but it also brings new security challenges. However, understanding these risks and implementing robust security strategies can help organizations ensure data safety in cloud technology/DevOps environments.

5 Bad Practices That Lead to Insecure APIs In Cloud Computing

Marie Pettit — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 14:36:39 +0000

Utilizing public cloud APIs can be a boon for developers and businesses alike. Integrating with a strong API ecosystem can boost the value of a particular service or application by enhancing it with additional features and giving it access to even more. Cloud computing increases the collective benefit of APIs exponentially by providing unmatched connectivity, collaboration, and customization.

That very connectedness could prove fatal, however, if exploited for malicious aims. Here are a few of the security ‘worst practices’ that can put an API at risk and endanger the whole ecosystem.

1. Exposing the inner workings of an API

Much of how an API functions is available in the public documentation. However, much isn’t. What is deliberately kept back is the specific inner workings of how the API retrieves information on the back end, what it uses to authenticate, the API syntax and endpoints, and business logic. In the wrong hands, that information could prove the foundation for an attack.

Unwarranted exposure also includes visibility into the coding of an API machine, which itself could be costly and inform a threat actor’s next exploit. One way this can occur is error messages that are programmed unwisely; many can inadvertently share information about an APIs architecture.

2. Weak access controls

API applications serve as the gateways to protected information. That is why APIs must properly validate all users requesting access. If they don’t, a malicious actor could obtain data that should have been protected.

This comes into play in linear requests and when the API call is routed through an integrated service, like a payment app. While the payment app should ideally maintain all user credentials within itself, shoddy access controls can lead to some of that app-sensitive consumer data leaking out to the integrated service.

3. Too much OS software use

Open-source software is a major lift to developers looking to save time and resources coding. A component-based approach to software development has become a major way in which services are created today, allowing organizations to leverage well-made, easily available software snippets into their code without having to start from scratch or have the same expertise. However, pulling OS components directly from public repositories (like Docker or GitHub) only means they’re available – it doesn’t mean they’re safe.

These OS parts could be laden with malicious scripts, malware, or the ever-popular cryptomining code, making them a vehicle for supply chain attacks. Using open-source components is worth the cost-savings only if they are vetted first for vulnerabilities and brought up to the same security standards as the rest of the organization.

4. Weak encryption

There are two ways in which an improperly secured API can expose sensitive data. APIs are connected directly to databases, which house data at rest. If that data is not secured with AES 256 or Triple DES, it will be susceptible to attacks that can breach weaker forms of encryption – or no encryption at all.

The same goes for data in transit. When an HTTP request is made, the API will retrieve the information from the database and send it to the destination service. If not protected with proper encryption protocols, that data can be at risk while travelling; not all pathways are secure, and some APIs don’t even adhere to industry security standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and SOX. Man-in-the-middle attacks and malware can reach data during that time; SSL and the and the latest version of TLS (version 1.3) are needed to lock down external malicious access.

5. Rushing time-to-market

In the fast-paced world of tech releases, speed and security often play competing roles. APIs, like any other technology, can be rushed out the door to meet release deadlines before security features have been fully developed, vetted, and hardened. This can cause problems down the road both for users and the company rolling out the API.

In the long term, highly secure APIs gain a reputation of their own and can be more commercially viable. However, in the rush to be the ‘first to market’ in a particular area, organizations will often rush developers to push out massive amounts of coding at a pace not conducive to full security scrutiny. As a result, APIs hit the market that are insecure and expose both parties to an unnecessary amount of risk. Both the API creator and the business integrating with the API should do their due diligence when it comes to making sure the API passes industry and organizational standards for security; proper configuration and access controls, OS code scrutiny, and up-to-date encryption.

The Importance of Securing APIs in Cloud Computing

API security cannot be understated, especially when the risks are understood. According to research by API security firm Salt, “The end of last year saw a major spike, with 4,845 attackers operating in December alone — a 400% increase from just a few months prior.” The research indicated that nearly half of all surveyed organizations are talking about API security at an executive level, and that at this point, most API security strategies still remain immature.

As Forrester analyst Sandy Carielli states, "As organizations are securing their web applications, they can't forget about their APIs. Security pros must specifically build in API security and not assume that it's rolled into their existing web application protections."

Security Considerations for Software Developers

Marie Pettit — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 08:00:06 +0000

A large part of cybersecurity is reactive. Effective cybersecurity relies on promptly detecting and responding to threats and adjusting security programs accordingly. However, relying solely on a reactive approach takes up a vast amount of security teams' time and resources and can result in missed attacks and cyber incidents.

Effective cybersecurity requires a balance between proactive and reactive protocols. The most crucial element of a proactive cybersecurity approach is security by design; developers need to write secure code to nip vulnerabilities in the bud.

This article will outline the risks inherent in software development and how organizations can mitigate them.

Software development risks

Organizations must understand the most common software development risks to empower their developers to write secure code.

Aggressive deadlines are one of the most significant barriers to securing code. The digital market is more competitive than ever, and in the scramble to get applications to market, many organizations impose unrealistic demands on their developers. The fact is, for most organizations, time-to-market, and functionality trumps security. If organizations want their developers to write secure code, they must set realistic deadlines and accept that secure applications take a little longer to develop.

Similarly, poor-quality code is a significant risk in software development, especially if developers rush projects due to time constraints. While we'll cover secure coding practices in more detail later, developers must test code frequently, resolve bugs and logical errors when necessary, and organizations should develop secure coding standards for developers to follow.

Poor risk management is also a significant software development risk. Organizations must perform a risk assessment for all software development projects, asking themselves:

What could go wrong
Why it could go wrong
What the impacts would be
How to fix it

Performing a risk assessment before launching a software development project reduces the possibility of insecure code. It places security and development teams in a better position to respond to threats when they occur.

Develop and implement secure coding practices

Secure coding practices are the paramount security consideration for software developers. Organizations should develop their secure coding framework that includes the following OWASP-defined practices:

Input validation – Developers should analyze inputs and disallow unsuitable inputs to prevent attackers from entering inputs designed to harm the system.
Output encoding – Output encoding transforms data into a safe format that does not interfere with a web page's intended functionality or appearance and prevents Cross Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.
Authentication and password management – Developers should implement strong authentication and password management practices, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), storing only salted cryptographic hashes of passwords, and disabling password entries after multiple failed login attempts.
Session management – Web sessions are a sequence of HTTP request and response transactions associated with the same user. Effective session management must include proper session ID configuration, using secure, HTTPonly, and SameSite cookies.
Access control – Developers should implement secure protocols to regulate who can view and use resources properly.
Cryptographic practices – Developers should encrypt all data with modern cryptographic algorithms and follow secure key management best practices.
Error handling and logging – Developers must capture any errors in the application logic that may cause the system to crash and log them to prevent them from entering production.
Data protection – To prevent data loss, developers adhere to data protection best practices such as encrypting sensitive data, least privilege principles, and supporting the removal of unneeded sensitive data.
Communication security – Developers must prevent unauthorized access to any transmitted or transferred information.
System configuration – Developers must implement security measures in code to mitigate vulnerabilities.
Database security – Developers must regularly patch database servers, disable public network access, encrypt all files and backups, and lock down accounts and privileges to adequately protect databases. Data loss prevention solutions are also useful for preventing unauthorized data access.
File management – File management involves naming, storing, managing, and securing digital files to prevent unauthorized access or use.

Alternatively, organizations could utilize publicly available secure coding frameworks, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF) or the BSA Framework for Secure Software.

However, the most crucial security consideration for software developers is communication. Security and development teams have existed as disparate, siloed entities for too long. Security and development teams have long since viewed one another as a barrier to success, but that needs to change. Security teams need to be involved in the development process at the earliest possible stage to ensure that development teams aren't forced to implement security protocols retroactively, while development teams must work closely with security teams to understand the reasoning behind security decisions.

Secure software development relies on setting realistic expectations and deadlines, writing secure code, and performing comprehensive risk assessments. Organizations must also develop secure coding practices for developers to adhere to or utilize existing secure coding frameworks available online.

For better or worse: How APIs impact Cloud security

Marie Pettit — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 10:48:02 +0000

APIs are commonly used in cloud computing environments, enabling different applications to access and manipulate cloud resources. For example, an API can enable an application to access a cloud database. The API will provide the application with instructions on accessing the database and retrieving data, enabling the application to perform its intended function.

While APIs have made cloud computing more efficient and effective, they have created new security challenges. With the rise in the use of APIs, cloud security has become a concern for many organizations. APIs present unique security challenges that can affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and services in the cloud. A recent study shows that API attack traffic grew 117% over the past year, from an average of 12.22M malicious calls per month to 26.46M.

Positive impacts of APIs on Cloud Security

The use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) has become a ubiquitous part of modern technology, with cloud computing being no exception. APIs are essential for integrating different software systems, allowing for efficient communication between various applications and services. They enable developers to build on top of existing code and provide a standardized way for different programs to interact with each other.

APIs can have a positive impact on cloud security in several ways.

Enhances the DevOps process: One of the primary benefits is that they enable developers to build secure applications quickly. APIs provide a standard interface for accessing cloud resources, allowing developers to focus on building the business logic of their applications rather than worrying about the underlying infrastructure. This can lead to faster development cycles and more secure applications because developers can leverage the security features built into the APIs.

Helps in Authorization: Another way APIs can improve cloud security is by enabling organizations to enforce access controls more easily. APIs provide a granular way of controlling access to cloud resources, allowing organizations to restrict access to only those users who need it. This can help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and reduce the risk of data breaches.

It makes monitoring and logging API data easier: APIs can also improve cloud security by providing visibility into cloud activity. APIs can be used to monitor activity in the cloud, allowing organizations to quickly detect and respond to security incidents. This can help reduce the impact of security incidents and minimize the damage caused by attacks.

Negative Impacts of APIs on Cloud Security

While APIs offer many benefits, they also create new security risks. APIs are often the primary attack vector for cybercriminals who seek to exploit vulnerabilities in cloud applications that can affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and services in the cloud. APIs are highly exposed endpoints that anyone with the proper authentication credentials can easily access. Cybercriminals can use these endpoints to access sensitive data or launch attacks on the cloud infrastructure. Other negative impacts of APIs on Cloud Security include;

Unauthorized access: One of the most significant risks associated with APIs is unauthorized access. If an API endpoint is not properly secured, cybercriminals can exploit it to gain access to sensitive data or launch attacks. For example, a cybercriminal could use an API to steal user credentials, gain access to a cloud application, and exfiltrate sensitive data. Unauthorized access can occur if an API is not properly secured, authentication credentials are compromised, or there are weaknesses in the authentication process.

Data exposure: Another risk associated with APIs is data exposure. APIs can be used to retrieve or update data from cloud applications. If an API endpoint is not properly secured, it can access sensitive data that should not be exposed to the public. Data exposure can occur if an API is not properly secured, authentication credentials are compromised, or there are weaknesses in the authorization process.

Denial-of-service Attacks: APIs can also launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. A DoS attack is a cyber-attack that aims to make a service or website unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic. APIs can launch DoS attacks by sending a high volume of requests to an API endpoint, which can overload the cloud infrastructure and cause it to become unresponsive. DoS attacks can significantly impact cloud applications, causing downtime, lost revenue, and damage to brand reputation.

Mitigating the Risks

To mitigate these risks, it is important to implement robust security measures for APIs in the cloud. Here are some strategies that can be used to enhance API security:

Implement authentication and authorization controls: APIs should require authentication credentials to access data or services. This helps ensure that only authorized users can access the API endpoints. Authentication and authorization should be based on the principle of least privilege, meaning that users should only be granted the access they need to perform their tasks.

Use encryption: All data transmitted via APIs should be encrypted using secure protocols such as HTTPS. Encryption helps protect data from interception or tampering during transmission.

Implement rate limiting: APIs should implement rate limiting to prevent DoS attacks. Rate limiting restricts the number of requests that can be made to an API endpoint within a specific time frame. This helps ensure that the cloud infrastructure is not overwhelmed by too many requests.

Perform regular vulnerability assessments: Regular vulnerability assessments can help identify and remediate vulnerabilities in API endpoints. Vulnerability assessments should be performed by qualified professionals who are familiar with the latest security threats and vulnerabilities.

Use API gateway management tools and dedicated API security tooling: API gateways can help enhance API security by providing a centralized control point for API access. The API gateway should be configured to authenticate and authorize all API requests and protect against injection and XSS attacks. Gateways cannot, however, provide dynamic detection of active API attacks. Most organizations choose to augment their gateways with dedicated tooling purpose-built to detect API attacks. These platforms dynamically baseline API traffic so that the anomalies consistent with bad actors performing reconnaissance stand out and can be blocked.

Secure API Configuration: Organizations should configure APIs securely, using strong authentication and authorization mechanisms and implementing proper access controls to limit access to only authorized users.

Conclusion

In conclusion, APIs have revolutionized cloud computing, allowing faster development, easier integration, and more efficient communication between applications. However, they have also created new security challenges, including unauthorized access, data exposure, and denial-of-service attacks. To mitigate these risks, it is crucial to implement robust security measures such as implementing authentication and authorization controls, using encryption, monitoring and logging API data, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments. Overall, APIs have positive and negative impacts on cloud security, and it is essential to balance the benefits and risks when using them in the cloud environment. By understanding the potential risks and implementing the necessary security measures, organizations can harness the full potential of APIs while ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data and services.

Top 5 Priorities When Creating an API

Marie Pettit — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 12:05:32 +0000

An application program interface (API) is a set of functions, protocols, procedures, and rules for building software applications and governing how they function. APIs equally allow for communication between software; making it possible to transfer data and access resources from one server to another. APIs serve as the on-ramp to the digital world, allowing tasks as simple as ordering pizza from your mobile device to occur easily.

API usage has grown tremendously in the past decade, most notably in the past year, as more organizations continue to adopt and actively use them. Expectedly, as APIs continue to become more widely adopted, so has their focus as an attack vector by threat actors. In a survey conducted for 2022, it was reported that malicious API attack traffic surged 117% over the year, from an average of 12.22M malicious calls per month to an average of 26.46M calls. This is a staggering statistic that Security professionals and API developers have to note when securing, managing, and building APIs.

Building APIs

When building APIs, there is often a focus on the functionality of the API in terms of what it does and what service it provides while often neglecting its usability, ease of adoption, flexibility, and, most importantly, security. Thus, looking at APIs from the same lens as the typical UI is important. When a UI is designed well, users trust and are loyal to it due to the seamless experience it provides. This seamless experience covers usability, ease of adoption, flexibility, and security.

While an API does not have the visual representation of a UI, the policies to be adopted when building one are similar.

Top Priorities to consider when creating an API

Before we dive in, it is important to note that when creating an API, the developers should shift their perspective to that of an API user from that of an API designer. This ensures that the right policies are prioritized and adopted. That being said, the top priorities when creating an API are:

o Documentation: Documentation is pretty much a no-brainer. Documenting an API should be the priority of any developer as it ensures that both old and new users optimize usage of the APIs with the aid of simple and clear-cut steps or instructions on how to use the API. Simply put, consumers of APIs would require documentation as a form of guidance to understand the available functionality, the data required, and the data returned when using an API.
As easy as documenting APIs might seem, a good number of APIs do not have clear-cut documentation or outdated documentation. This can potentially leave some features in the realm of being unknown to end users, negatively affecting the usability, alongside its seamless adoption.

o Security: API security can be defined as the processes involved in protecting APIs against misuse and cyber-attacks. It is important to note that overall API security has greatly improved over the past year with the adoption of certain practices aimed at improving API security and safety of use. These practices mainly focus on the use of authentication, encryption, API gateway management, throttling limits and quotas, and data validation.
When building APIs however, the key security focus should be on authentication, authorization, and encryption. Authentication ensures that the right end-user or program has access to the resources provided by the API. While authorization deals with granting or denying access to the resources provided by the API. Encryption, on the other hand, scrambles the data to a format that is not human-readable while the data is in transit to its intended user.
The best and currently the most widely used API authorization framework is OAuth2.0, a standard designed to allow a website or application to access resources hosted by other web apps on behalf of a user.

o Stability: Building stable APIs is as important as building secure ones. Considering APIs are still software and software constantly changes as more features are added, optimized, and/or removed, it is important to have a clear versioning strategy when building APIs. This versioning strategy should be adopted at the get-go as it helps ensure that the API consumers are kept abreast of breaking changes made which may or may not affect functionality.
If possible also, when an API version is updated, the new version should be made backward compatible. This gives API consumers enough time to adapt to changes so there isn’t that feeling of being blindsided.
It is also often best practice to have the API version number as part of the URL with API responses in the form of meta-information. A good example can be seen in the URL “hxxp://footballscoreapi.com/api/widgets/v1”.

o Flexibility: API flexibility comes into play concerning request validation. As simple as the concept of making API flexible might seem, in reality, it is a daily struggle for API developers.
This is because it is challenging to be 100% prepared for the unlimited ways an API can be used. For example, an API can support a wide variety of formats but will only support a specific format in the URL itself. Thus, API flexibility comes into place. Some ways APIs can be made flexible to cater to request validation are:
o Allowing for the particular format to be specified in the URL (e.g. /api/v1/widgets.json)
o Allowing the code to read and recognize an Accept: application/json HTTP headers
o Allowing case-sensitive inputs so users can specify inputs
o Supporting a query string variable such as ?format=JSON
o Allowing different ways of inputting variables such as XML, and basic POST variables
o Supporting standard POST variables.

Conclusion

As the need for APIs continue to increase globally and organizations need to build and push out new APIs regularly, it is important to prioritize the aforementioned policies. These policies not only ensure that your APIs remain clean, well-documented, user-friendly, adaptable, easily adoptable, and secure, but they also help build user confidence in your products, thus also aiding your business development and growth needs.

Why APIs are Top Targets for Attackers

Marie Pettit — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 11:35:43 +0000

APIs play a critical role in modern web and mobile applications. The number of APIs used by organizations is rapidly increasing. According to a recent survey, the average number of APIs per business grew 82% over last year. In addition to further revolutionizing user experiences, APIs provide new levels of vulnerability that attract attackers' attention. The positive aspects of APIs make them attractive targets for criminals. And for that reason, businesses must secure their APIs.

"APIs are a preferred attack vector for cybercriminals. And the attack surface continues to grow."

The introduction of standards-based APIs marked a significant advancement in application integration. About 20 years ago, proprietary software products that were expensive and complicated were transformed into free, standards-based tools that were comparatively simple to use—and quick to deploy.

The amount of connectivity between apps and data has increased dramatically. Thanks to the new APIs that operate through the Internet, it is feasible to connect any software or data source, wherever in the globe, regardless of platform, data format, or programming language. As a result, an API revolution is currently taking place in the world of computers.

Hackers have created numerous software tools to take advantage of APIs. The openness and usefulness of APIs make them highly lucrative targets for attackers. Malware can be written to use an API to connect to a corporate system and GET data as a mobile app can. It's a successful offensive strategy.

API-based modern apps are more adaptable, agile, and hassle-free than bulky monolithic ones. It facilitates smooth user experiences by accelerating website/application performance while operating in the background.

Due to the role of API in ensuring applications are linked and can function adequately, APIs are a prime target for attackers.

This article explores five reasons why APIs are top targets for attackers.

The Nature of APIs

Because of their very nature, APIs have access to and expose sensitive data, databases, and the underlying code of the online and mobile applications that use them. They are created to be programmatically accessible, to put it simply. Due to their inherent vulnerabilities, they are prime targets for attackers. By creating malicious software or software tools that misuse APIs, attackers can transmit malware, exfiltrate data, and other things quickly, thanks to its openness and utility.

Lack of Attack Surface Visibility

The application architecture has an increasing number of API endpoints. They enable developers to continue inventing because they are simple to deploy and integrate. They function in many networks and settings. Organizations are using a variety of third-party APIs and parts. Manually tracking and inventorying this expanding endpoint population is not humanly conceivable. The fact that they operate in the background doesn't help. Organizational silos make security more difficult because only development teams may know the complete API design. API threats could thus catch security teams off guard. Implementing security in online APIs is difficult due to the need for centralized visibility into the attack surface, making them desirable targets for attackers.

Insufficient API Security

While API security issues may superficially resemble browser-based security issues, they are distinct, sophisticated, and complex. The security and development teams' ignorance of API security results in poorly maintained and exposed endpoints that attackers can quickly exploit. Existing security measures aren't working for APIs. They're not keeping attackers from stealing sensitive data, affecting the user experience, or causing other damage. It would be best if organizations had a security strategy and technology purpose-built for APIs to stop attacks.

Insufficient Access Control, Authorisation, and Authentication Policies

Since organizations frequently neglect to create zero-trust controls while using APIs, unlimited access to data and functionality is granted. APIs are vulnerable to attacks because of poor access control, authorization, and authentication procedures that make it simple for attackers to get around security.

API Pervasiveness

As we transition to headless and microservice architectures, APIs are used across corporate operations, domains, and industries; they benefit health care, education, and fintech. They are essential components of contemporary SaaS, mobile, and web apps. They can be found in apps used internally, with partners, and with customers. Due to its widespread use, attackers have a larger attack surface and a more varied selection of endpoints to search for flaws and gaps. APIs are excellent targets for attackers because they reveal many internal workings and implementations of apps.

Conclusion

Organizations must select an API security solution that is tailored for APIs and is risk-based, comprehensive, scalable, and fully managed. The solution must be agile, adaptable, and constantly updated to keep up with the shifting threat, business, and technological landscape. It must offer immediate, proactive, and efficient defense against the OWASP Top 10 API Risks and other threats and dangers unique to APIs. It must ensure that all API endpoints, parameters, data types, and APIs are automatically discovered, as well as all API dependencies and third-party APIs, and it must provide real-time insight into the traffic reaching API endpoints.