APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are essential components of modern web applications. They enable different software components to interact and exchange data seamlessly and have been instrumental in spurring digital transformation across industries.
The growing prevalence of APIs in today’s digital landscape is a cause and consequence of the rising demand for cutting-edge tech like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and big data analysis. Unfortunately, as the use of APIs has increased, so has the amount of API traffic, which then presents more opportunities for potential API attacks.
In hackers' quest for ransom, they expose API vulnerabilities, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data. The result of an attack can cause disastrous consequences, including data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage.
According to a Salt Labs report, from 2021 to 2022, API attack traffic surged by 117%, and organizations must take more proactive measures to secure against potential attacks as a result.
So, what types of attacks do APIs face, and what can be done to prevent them effectively?
Firstly, why are APIs vulnerable?
APIs are designed to be highly interoperable, which means that they often rely on complex data formats and protocols, such as JSON and XML, to communicate with other systems. These complex data structures can make it difficult to validate user input and identify malicious code or payloads, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.
API gateways are used to manage and secure APIs, however, they provide a single point of entry for attackers to exploit—which means the more APIs in use, the increased number of vulnerable API gateways. The increasing adoption of microservices and the distributed nature of modern applications have also made APIs more susceptible to attacks.
In addition, many API security vulnerabilities are unwittingly caused by implementation errors, design flaws, and configuration issues. Yet, traditional security solutions often focus on detecting known attack patterns or signatures.
What types of attacks do they face?
APIs often connect company databases with web applications and customer-facing software. This makes APIs a lucrative target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit sensitive information, such as personal data, financial information, and intellectual property, for financial gain.
Now, the types of cyber attacks will vary depending on the case and desired outcomes, but common attacks include:
- Malicious injection: This involves inserting harmful code in place of expected user input. Common examples include SQL injection, OS command injection, and XML injection.
- Cross-site scripting (XSS): XSS is another form of injection attack that utilizes the code of a web application or webpage.
- A Denial-of-Service (DoS): These attacks aim to disrupt the intended users' access to a machine or network by making it inaccessible. In Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, the attackers use traffic to overwhelm an API endpoint, rendering it inoperable for users.
- Man-in-the-middle (MitM): MitM attacks occur between the client app and API or the API and its endpoint, where attackers impersonate one system to the other to intercept traffic.
- Credential stuffing: This refers to gaining unauthorized access by using stolen API authentication.
Why are traditional solutions ineffective?
Traditionally used strategies and solutions for application security, such as firewalls, network security, and access control mechanisms, are often ineffective against API attacks due to the unique nature of APIs and the way they interact with the underlying systems.
APIs expose interfaces and data that were previously hidden within applications, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. APIs are now more than ever made accessible over the internet, which increases their exposure to potential attacks. Moreover, APIs often require more permissive access controls to allow for third-party integration, which can make them more vulnerable to attacks from malicious actors.
What can be done instead?
To address these challenges, organizations must adopt a comprehensive API security strategy that includes actions such as authentication and authorization, input validation, encryption, and monitoring of API activity.
It is crucial for organizations to take proactive measures to secure their APIs, including implementing robust authentication mechanisms, enforcing secure coding practices, and conducting regular security assessments. These help to prevent potential attacks and ensure that their sensitive data remains safe.
Regular manual and automated testing is also vital for protecting against any type of attack that might take place. Anyone interacting with or managing APIs should familiarize themselves with the different types of attack so they know what to look for when conducting a check.
To ensure the maturity of their API programs, organizations must ensure their checks happen at regulary across the entire API lifecycle. This needs to happen not just at runtime but across the entire API Lifecycle, which involves several stages, including design, development, testing, deployment, configuration, and maintenance. Each stage demands different security measures to guarantee data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The key to effectively securing APIs is to implement a comprehensive security strategy that is adaptable and follows a regular testing schedule. By doing so, organizations can reduce the risk of potential attacks and ensure the safety of their sensitive data.
In API’s ever-changing landscape, it's important to continually communicate and maintain good governance best practices. When it comes to security threats the stakes are high, but with a proactive and adaptable approach to API security, we can help ensure a more secure digital future.
