What Is OWASP API Security Top 10: A Deep Dive

Open banking represents a huge opportunity for banks and other financial institutions looking for innovative ways to grow their revenue. The open banking system started in Europe, but consumer demand for fast, easy, personalized banking services is driving rapid expansion in the U.S. and Canada. 74% of consumers in the U.S. and Canada are willing to adopt open banking, and many people (especially young adults) have already used at least one open banking service. One of the keys to the success of open banking is security. As the name suggests, open banking involves the open exchange of financial data — making tight security absolutely necessary. Let’s explore how you can boost your API security to maintain secure APIs and a safe, open banking environment for your customers. What is an Open Banking API? Open banking APIs are a type of software that allows banks and other financial organizations to share data with financial technology firms and other partners. APIs power the open banking system via a network of accessible API endpoints that allow banks, lenders, FinTech firms, and other financial institutions to request and exchange the data they need to run their apps and services. Think of it this way: in the same way a user interface allows users to interact with an application, open banking APIs allow financial applications to interact and exchange data with each other. Read More: What is API Security and Why It's Important What are the Benefits of Open Banking and Bank APIs? We’ve already mentioned how open banking helps consumers by enabling convenient and personalized digital banking, but what about the banks? No need to worry — there are big benefits for banks, too. Let’s look at the top three. 1. Develop Additional Revenue Streams Open banking relies on mutually beneficial partnerships between traditional financial institutions like banks and modern FinTech companies. For banks, one of the biggest benefits is the opportunity to create new revenue streams. The potential payoff is huge, with experts predicting that open banking will create $416 billion in new revenue over the next several years. Here are just a few of the additional revenue opportunities available to you as part of the open banking ecosystem: Revenue sharing with partners Data licensing fees API call fees Transaction fees Expert data analysis and reports Innovative, data-driven new products and services such as loyalty programs, credit cards, account types, banking as a service (BaaS) platforms, and subscription-based personal finance tools. 2. Expand Your Reach As part of the open banking network, you have access to new distribution channels and groups of customers who might never have encountered your bank otherwise. To help you better appreciate the exciting possibilities of this expanded reach, let’s look at two examples: Quicken Loans, Citizens Bank, and Better Mortgage expanded their potential client base by forming an open banking partnership to provide special refinancing services for Airbnb hosts. Community Coastal Bank’s branches are located in Washington, but their BaaS partnership with business checking FinTech company BlueVine gives them access to small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide. 3. Create Personalized Banking Services With the help of data exchanged through open banking APIs, you can gain valuable insight into customer behavior and expectations. This allows you to improve your customer experience and provide personalized financial services based on each individual’s spending patterns, saving habits, and personal preferences. Read More: Why APIs are Your Biggest Security Risk How Do I Protect Open Banking APIs from Common Cybersecurity Attacks? Whether you build your own APIs or get them from third-party providers, it’s important to make sure your APIs are protected from common cyber attacks. Here are some banking API security best practices to get you started in the right direction. 1. Protect Your API from Malicious Bots Hackers use bots to attack exposed API endpoints. Bots are automated and extremely versatile, meaning cybercriminals can use them to launch DDoS attacks, manipulate HTTP calls, introduce malware, steal customer information, and cause data breaches. There are several ways to combat bot attacks on APIs. Three of the most effective solutions include: Implement rate limiting to prevent your system from being overwhelmed by DDoS attacks. Rate limiting puts a cap on how many requests a user or IP address can submit, allowing you to shut down malicious API traffic while allowing legitimate requests to get through. Allow only necessary HTTP methods at each endpoint to keep cybercriminals from using unexpected HTTP calls to steal sensitive data, change account balances, and delete records. Perform intent-based deep behavioral analysis of bot traffic and use machine learning to help your system recognize and react to malicious traffic patterns. 2. Strengthen Your Authorization and Authentication Protocols Users want to access their bank accounts quickly and without a complex authorization process. Unfortunately, hackers also want to access customer accounts. You need advanced access management controls that satisfy your users AND keep cybercriminals out. The best way to strengthen your authorization and authentication protocols is to implement a combination of multi-factor authentication, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and mTLS. Each of these security protocols helps verify that users are who they claim to be and are authorized to have the access they’re requesting. When used together, they protect your API at different levels and provide a reliable defense against identity theft attacks. Read More: What Is OWASP API Security Top 10 & Why It's Important 3. Adopt a Comprehensive API Testing Solution Open banking technology depends on numerous APIs — all with multiple endpoints. Each endpoint represents a potential security vulnerability, and it’s impossible to test them all effectively using traditional techniques. APIsec offers a comprehensive automated API testing solution. Using our unique platform, you can thoroughly test every aspect of your APIs as often as needed. APIsec empowers organizations to identify and correct security flaws before hackers find and exploit them — giving you and your customers peace of mind when it comes to the security of your open banking environment. Get in touch with our team to schedule a free vulnerability scan or set up a time to talk about how we can boost your API security measures.

Venmo, Robinhood, Chime, PayPal, MoneyLion, Mint, Card Curator—fintech apps such as these have disrupted and transformed the banking and financial service industries in the last few years. Up to 75% of global consumers use at least one fintech service, and that number is expected to rise as more people embrace contactless payments, mobile banking, micro-investing, online lending, travel hacking, and other fintech-powered financial activities. Unfortunately, consumers aren’t the only ones who love fintech. Fintech apps are gold mines for cybercriminals looking to steal valuable personal and financial data. As more users adopt fintech (and more money flows through the associated apps), bad actors launch increasingly clever attacks, making fintech cybersecurity more important—and more difficult—than ever. We’ve put together this list of eight high-risk fintech cybersecurity challenges to help IT leaders like you protect your organization from determined cybercriminals. Top 8 FinTech Cybersecurity Risks and Challenges Apps are the face of fintech, but APIs are what make fintech magic possible—and are the primary target of many modern cyberattacks. Most of the eight cybersecurity threats below are directly related to API security. 1. Identity Theft Cybercriminals use stolen or hacked login credentials to impersonate users and access accounts on fintech apps, allowing them to steal both money and sensitive personal information. A global survey of financial institutions in 2021 revealed that account takeovers had become a favorite source of attack by cybercriminals, with the number of attempted takeovers rising 282% between 2019 and 2020. One of the most common identity theft tactics involves API attacks that compromise authentication tokens and other verification methods meant to keep accounts secure. To combat this threat and protect users, implement strong authorization and authentication mechanisms as part of your security policy. 2. Data Breaches From credit card and bank account numbers to addresses and security question answers, fintech apps contain an incredible amount of personal and financial data. This sensitive data is highly coveted by cyber attackers looking to either use the data to commit financial fraud or profit by selling it to others. To get the data they want, determined thieves launch phishing attacks, sneak in malware, and take advantage of exposed API endpoints without proper access controls. Unfortunately, they’re good at what they do and have managed to steal millions of account details and credit card numbers from fintech startups and established companies, including well-known institutions such as Equifax and JP Morgan Chase. Business logic flaws present the most dangerous type of vulnerabilities that make it possible for users to exploit the legitimate functionality of your application to gain access to sensitive data and must be identified and corrected before hackers have a chance to exploit them. They are also very time-consuming and difficult to test for manually because you have to craft a separate test for every possible way the API could be abused. 3. DDoS Attacks In DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks, hackers flood an app with traffic in an attempt to crash it—and hopefully, force a security breakdown in the process. Unfortunately, many of the APIs underpinning fintech apps don’t have the rate-limiting or resource restrictions required to fend off these targeted attacks. Because of this, DDoS attacks are a serious security risk to many fintech applications. Rate limiting is the practice of restricting the number and/or frequency of requests a given user or IP address is allowed to send within a certain timeframe. Enforcing this restriction can help you defend against DDoS attacks. 4. Integration Loopholes Many popular fintech functions, such as mobile transfers, require apps to interact with traditional banks. Integrating the modern high-tech apps with the legacy systems often used by established financial institutions is a difficult technical challenge. The solution usually involves multiple custom APIs, which introduces numerous potential security vulnerabilities. Without extreme attention to detail and thorough testing, it’s easy to leave a loophole for cybercriminals to find and exploit. Conduct regular vulnerability scans to ensure exposed API endpoints are protected from abuse. Do this after every change to the source code, even the slightest tweaks, as patching one vulnerability could open another vulnerability elsewhere. 5. AI Fuzzing You’ve probably noticed a theme in our list so far: cyberattackers look for errors and vulnerabilities they can exploit and use to steal user data and identities. One way hackers find errors is through a method called “fuzzing” or “fuzz testing.” This testing technique feeds applications or APIS with invalid, unexpected, or random data. The program is then monitored for exceptions such as crashes, failing built-in code assertions, or potential memory leaks. Until recently, fuzzing was a slow, manual process, which gave security teams a chance to find and fix errors before hackers could take advantage of them. Now, however, cybercriminals are increasingly using AI and machine learning to automate the fuzzing process and uncover zero-day vulnerabilities—especially in APIs. Minimize the amount of data used in server responses to limit the data attack surface area. By using the least amount of data necessary as well as random testing and data filtering, you can reduce the risk of sensitive information falling into the hands of cybercriminals. 6. Phishing Attacks Phishing attacks have come a long way since the clumsy “Nigerian prince” scams of the early 2000s. Users have grown smarter, but so have criminals - in fact, 36% of data breaches involve phishing. Modern phishing attacks feature hackers posing as banks, government agencies, company executives, and other legitimate entities to trick users into resetting passwords or sharing financial information over the phone. Phishing emails are often nearly indistinguishable from legitimate emails, making them a major security risk to fintech apps and users. The consequences of a successful phishing attack are high; once hackers have access to the system, they can introduce ransomware or other malware and cause massive identity theft or a data breach. Invest in cybersecurity training for your employees to prevent the severity of phishing attacks and the likelihood that they will succeed. 7. Insider Threats “The chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” This is especially applicable to fintech cybersecurity. Reports indicate that insider threats—risks stemming from employees within the company—represent the primary cause for 60% of security breaches. In rare cases, the threat comes from a disgruntled or dishonest employee who intentionally destroys or leaks data. Most of the time, however, the threat to your security comes from a simple mistake. It could be an employee who falls for a phishing scam and accidentally gives hackers access to your system or a developer who made a coding error that creates a security flaw. Either way, it’s a threat you can’t afford to ignore. Implement strict password and account management policies and practices within your organization to mitigate the risks related to insider threats. 8. Regulatory Compliance Regulatory compliance isn’t a cybersecurity risk per se, but it is a challenge. The fintech industry is strictly managed and must comply with a wide range of banking regulations, data privacy laws, payment processing standards, investing regulations, and standard security protocols. Keeping up and complying with all the requirements is difficult but necessary. Regulators won’t hack you or steal your data, but they will impose severe penalties if you suffer a data breach due to lax security or compliance. Consult with cybersecurity specialists to ensure that you stay compliant with cybersecurity and data privacy regulations. Protect Your FinTech APIs with APIsec There’s no question about it: one of the best ways to prevent fintech cybersecurity issues and nullify potential threats is to improve API security. APIsec has the tools you need to strengthen data protection, close API security loopholes, and prevent cyber incidents. Contact our team or schedule a free vulnerability scan to learn more about how our automated API testing platform can protect your financial technology (and your users) from advanced cyberattacks.

19,138 new common vulnerabilities emerged in 2021, reinforcing the need for high-quality vulnerability scanning tools. A vulnerability is an exploitable flaw in a network, web application, or API, allowing hackers to access secure data. Vulnerability scanning is especially crucial for APIs, as they are a favorite target for hackers, accounting for 90 percent of cyberattacks in 2021 alone. Read on to learn everything you need to know about vulnerability scans and how to keep your networks, web applications, and APIs secure. What Is Vulnerability Scanning and How Does It Work? A vulnerability scan is an automated, high-level system test that identifies weaknesses in networks, web applications, and APIs that attackers can exploit. These vulnerabilities can include coding bugs, faulty configurations, and authentication issues. The process typically involves checking your systems against a database of known vulnerabilities then generating a report of found issues for your IT team to review and patch. The problem with this approach, specifically for APIs, is that similar API vulnerabilities aren't as common since each company develops its APIs in its own unique configuration. To help you illustrate this distinction, consider this hypothetical example: A SQL injection vulnerability is common, but being able to query your next-door neighbor's postal packages via the USPS API is not. That's a unique logic flaw of the USPS API. While vulnerability scanners are great at finding common vulnerabilities, most platforms won't catch your unique business logic flaws. Read More: What is API Security and Why It's Important Vulnerability Scanning vs. Penetration Testing Both vulnerability scanning and penetration testing help organizations achieve the same goal of securing their APIs. Still, they have some key differences in how they do it. Vuln scans are a high-level look at servers and applications - APIs are usually under the scope of vuln scans - penetration tests look deep into your code to find the specific issues that lead to the vulnerability. A vulnerability scan looks for weaknesses in your systems and generates a report, while penetration testing is an authorized, simulated cyberattack performed either by a live developer (a pen-tester) or an AI-based tool. Penetration testing has the added advantage of identifying flaws in your business logic responsible for weak points in your security that a high-level vulnerability scan may miss. Regular vulnerability scans can help you monitor your systems, but most tools on the market aren't enough to protect more complex APIs. How Automation Made Vulnerability Scans an Industry Norm When software was on-premises, companies deployed, secured, and updated their software on their own networks. Manual penetration testing was aligned with the release schedules of the vendors. Subsequently, they were scheduled to repeat every year or even as infrequently as every other year. With cloud and SaaS products, that changed. Software is no longer on-premise with a tightly coupled frontend and backend. Modern apps are mostly cloud-based, relying on APIs to connect to various backends, databases, and subsystems. As a result, unsurprisingly, hackers, red teams, and penetration testers have shifted their focus and TTPs to the API layer, while software developers have been slow to expand their defenses to APIs. Pen-tests performed manually are typically infrequent monitoring activities that leave a large window of opportunity open for cyber-attackers, resulting in data loss and breaches. Manual pen-tests that happen annually, or even quarterly, just can't keep up with software releases or even cyber-attack evolutions. The software in question has already been in production for several months and has been changed numerous times by the time a pen test is performed. Companies can now run thorough vulnerability checks in minutes instead of hours or days, thanks to the advancements in automation. This speed allows them to continuously check their networks and APIs for vulnerabilities, all while saving valuable development resources. Automated pen-testing solutions (like ours) provide a pen-testing strategy that is aligned with contemporary web development practices - making sure vulnerabilities get detected and fixed before they get into production. Read More: 3 Steps for an Effective API Testing Process The Four Most Common Types of Vulnerability Scans Regulations require specific types of vulnerability scans, such as HIPAA - but on a high level, there are four types of vulnerability scans that you should be familiar with. External and Internal Vulnerability Scans External scanning is the scanning of the public-facing elements of the network. This is critical, as any hacker can access these components through any public-facing aspect on the network just as easily as the dev team. Internal scanning takes place inside the firewall, within the protected network. This method is vital because it helps identify database vulnerabilities. If a hacker somehow finds their way inside the network (i.e., via phishing or malware), you want to ensure they don't get access to your database. This scan can also check for potential insider threats, such as a security risk from a corrupt employee or outside contractor. Unauthenticated and Authenticated Vulnerability Scans Unauthenticated scanning occurs when the systems are scanned for vulnerabilities without special credentials. In other words, no direct access is granted to the network—hence the “unauthenticated” part of the name. These scans are ideal for determining the security posture of a network. Authenticated scanning means logging into the asset (be it a device, application, or API) and seeing what you can do. In this way, it can check for vulnerabilities inside your network. How the Vulnerability Scanning Process Works A specific chain of tasks needs to take place to identify, evaluate, and mitigate vulnerabilities. Below, we break down how the vulnerability scanning process works. Step 1: Configuring a Vulnerability Scanner The old way of doing vuln scanning involved deploying a scanner that would wake up on a schedule and scan around the network against a list of know vulnerabilities. Over the past decade, that model has morphed into the agent-based approach - which entails adding a little piece of code (agent) to every endpoint. This agent just sits there in the background, keeping an eye on things all the time and reporting back to the vuln management platform anytime an auditable event happens. This way, organizations get continuous visibility into vulnerabilities and ensure increased coverage. Step 2: Evaluation of the Risk Posed by Any Vulnerabilities Identified When the scan has been completed, review the generated report for vulnerabilities found. If your organization has never conducted vulnerability scans before, many security teams can find themselves challenged by the sheer number of vulnerabilities exposed by the scan. This leads to some crucial decisions on which threats to address and which to ignore. The IT team must consider: The threat level of the vulnerability The likelihood and feasibility of a hacker exploiting the hole in security If there are existing security controls that can reduce the risk. After considering these factors, the IT team must prioritize each vulnerability. The most pressing threats are the ones that require immediate action. Step 3: Treatment of Any Identified Vulnerabilities This step involves taking proactive measures to correct the most pressing threats. Common fixes include installing system updates, tweaking the configuration of the API, or rolling out a security patch. Not every vulnerability can be directly addressed or easily patched. If there isn't an immediate fix for a critical security risk, the team may try adding new security controls. Step 4: Re-running a Vulnerability Scan A good habit to develop would be to re-run a scan every time you add a new feature, fix a bug, or even slightly tweak the source code. Doing so can help you avoid creating new vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit due to patching up the loopholes your scan previously identified. Read More: API Security Checklist: What You Need To Know Try out APIsec for Comprehensive API Security Testing Now that you fully understand the benefits of vulnerability scanning, you can take proactive steps to reinforce your cybersecurity. This practice alone can’t fully protect you from a wide spectrum of cyber threats - that’s where APIsec comes into play. APIsec is the first automated API security testing solution that leverages the power of AI to write and execute thousands of test cases based on the unique structure of your APIs, allowing you to ensure full coverage, eliminate human error, and save your precious developer resources. If you want to learn more about the massive value APIsec can bring to the table, reach out to our team today to get a free vulnerability assessment.

You need a vulnerability scanner to protect your assets, but finding the right one can be overwhelming. It's critical to ensure that the tool you choose reduces frustrations among your IT team, developers, and security department and works with them. This article will cover the top five best vulnerability scanners on the market today—helping you find the right tool for your security needs. What Is a Vulnerability Scan? You should know what to expect from a vulnerability scan before making a decision. Vulnerability scans detect and report weaknesses in a network, web application, or API that hackers can exploit. The reports generated from the scans allow your IT team to regularly patch your vulnerabilities, protecting your most sensitive data. What Are the Best Vulnerability Scanners? Here are our top picks for the best vulnerability scanners in 2022: APIsec Burp Suite Acunetix beSECURE Nessus 1. APIsec APIsec is a vulnerability scanner that offers full coverage API scanning and automated testing designed to keep up with your fast-paced business. Most API security testing tools require you to manually write thousands of test cases. APIsec is the only AI-based solution that writes tests for you, allowing you to fully automate the entire API security testing process. It identifies loopholes regardless of the size and complexity of your API, including business logic flaws (an aspect other scanners often overlook that allows hackers to abuse the legitimate functionalities of your API) before hackers have the chance to exploit them. Top Features Full Coverage: APIsec learns the ins and outs of your API once it is integrated into your system, discovering exactly how it is used and where weaknesses may occur. Automatic Testing: The scanners run continuous, comprehensive tests that cover a wide range of vulnerabilities, including the OWASP Security Top 10 list. API Pen Tests: APIsec simulates attacks on your API, ensuring its every aspect is secure from potential hacks. Business Logic Flaws: APIsec leverages the power of AI to deeply understand how your API works, making it possible to uncover business logic vulnerabilities - one of the most dangerous types of cyberthreats that typically slip through the cracks. Pricing APIsec offers a free API assessment that tests your endpoints and provides a report of the findings. You can choose from one of three package options: Standard ($500 per month*): The standard plan includes over 100 API test categories to choose from, full OWASP coverage, daily tests for both application logic and security, and support for public and private APIs. Professional ($1,950 per month*): This plan is built for those who require advanced ticketing, pipeline, single-sign-on, and API gateway integration. Additionally, this plan provides unlimited scans, remediation guidance, and access to community support. Enterprise (Contact for price): This all-inclusive plan provides access to every feature APIsec has to offer, including volume discounts, account management, a dedicated support team, and the ability to create custom test categories. *Note: All prices apply per API. Why we recommend this scanner: APIsec’s full-scale approach to detecting weaknesses or loopholes in your security and logic makes it the best vulnerability scanner for APIs. 2. Burp Suite Burp Suite is used by over 15,000 organizations to help development teams protect their user bases from various threats. With their original Burp Scanner technology, Burp Suite is scaled for maximum coverage of an enterprise. It is ideal for testing web applications, whether you use their automated features or opt for manual testing. Top Features Intuitive Reporting: Receive scan reports on the go and access specialized security dashboards. Out-of-the-Box Integration: Incorporate built-in security plugins with your existing software development. Accessible Feedback: Vulnerability reports are tailored to your specifications, making them easy to understand and not overloaded with technical jargon. Customized Scanning: With customizable scan configurations, you can decide when, where, and what threats to search for. Pricing Burp Suite’s prices vary based on your business size and needs. Each package has full access to all features. Starter ($6,995 per year): Designed for small teams with five scanning agents. Grow ($14,480 per year): Recommended for medium-sized teams with 20 scanning agents. Accelerate ($29,450+ per year): Built for large teams with more than 50 scanning agents. Why we recommend this scanner: With no application limits and solid out-of-the-box features, Burp Suite offers a complete product at every price point. 3. Acunetix Acunetix is a great web application vulnerability scanner for small to medium-sized businesses. Its advanced crawling technology and ability to scan password-protected areas have made Acunetix a fan favorite among IT teams. Acunetix's step-by-step process is designed to help organizations streamline threat detection and simplify security resolutions. Top Features Advanced Crawling Technology: With the ability to scan unlinked documents, password-protected areas, and script-heavy sites, discover hidden vulnerabilities other scanners miss. Blended DAST and IAST Scanning: Search for over 7,000 vulnerabilities swiftly and efficiently with a robust scanner. Automate Manual Tasks: Reduce the time it takes to fix errors by letting Acunetix automate singling out lines of code that need attention and reducing false positives. Developer Integration: Easily communicate with developers through integrated tools, helping them fix and prevent vulnerabilities through secure code. Pricing Request a quote to see what Acunetix has to offer. Why we recommend this scanner: With the ability to scan hidden areas, Acunetix’s vigorous scanning protocol identifies potential vulnerabilities in every aspect of your application. 4. beSECURE beSECURE is a flexible vulnerability scanner that can deploy scans in the cloud. It also offers web application scanning and extensive training for new users. This is particularly valuable if you’re in need of a refresher course on vulnerability management. beSECURE’s customizable features allow you to easily adapt this tool to fit your needs. Top Features Flexible Deployment: Choose how you want to deploy your scans—in the cloud, on-premises, or via a hybrid model. Rapid Scanning: Scans take around five minutes from start to finish. Agent Free: Host-based clients or agents are not required. Automatic Updates: Daily updates allow you to catch potential security breaches and stay ahead of potential threats. Pricing beSECURE offers a free trial of their scanners. For further pricing and plan information, contact them directly. Why we recommend this scanner: With its adaptable deployment abilities, beSECURE’s vulnerability scanners can be applied to different types of applications, providing you with more flexibility. 5. Nessus Nessus is a broad-coverage vulnerability scanner known for its accurate scans and low rate of false positives. The Nessus team collaborates with security communities to continue to innovate products, providing customers with extensive coverage. To assist in providing a comprehensive vulnerability assessment, Nessus hosts a massive database containing over 59,000 threats. Top Features Dynamic Plugins: Enable faster scans and increase efficiency with a diverse range of plugins to extend the core functionalities of the scanner. Pre-Built Templates: With access to over 450 templates, establish vulnerabilities and audit configuration compliance with ease. User-friendliness: Easy-to-use navigation and access to a resource center make it easier for you to work with the vulnerability scanner, even for those who don’t specialize in cybersecurity Portable Deployment: Deploy Nessus on a variety of platforms, including Raspberry Pi. Pricing Nessus divides its products into two categories: Vulnerability Assessment and Vulnerability Management. In their Vulnerability Assessment category, they offer two packages. Nessus Essentials (Free): This package is geared toward educators or students and offers limited scans, free training, and support. Nessus Professional ($2,990 per year): This package is designed for the professional and provides unlimited scans, live results, community support, and configuration assessments and reports. Nessus recommends Tenable.io for vulnerability management. This package is built for small to mid-sized organizations and includes cloud management, advanced dashboards, access controls, scalable features, and advanced support. Why we recommend this scanner: With access to free training and easy-to-use features, Nessus scanners are a solid choice for new or non-technical users. The Wrap Up As the number of cyberattacks increases each year, businesses must be proactive in mitigating their risks. While vulnerability scans do not repair the issues they find, they do point IT teams in the right direction. Having a quality vulnerability scanner is essential for maintaining internet security and peace of mind for businesses and customers alike. At APIsec, we can help you discover and address vulnerabilities before hackers have the opportunity to exploit them. Ready to take the next step? Get a free vulnerability assessment today.

With APIs accounting for 83% of web traffic, organizations have been pouring more resources into API development to add additional revenue streams, streamline processes, and improve business outcomes. The value of your APIs depends on your adoption rates - without an active user base, your chances of succeeding are slim. API documentation plays a considerable role in improving adoption rates by providing API consumers with instructions on using and integrating your APIs. But that's the case only if you provide API documentation tools that help your API consumers use your APIs more effectively. This article ranks and reviews the best API documentation tools based on their features, pricing, and collaboration toolset. What Are the Best API Documentation Tools? Here are our top picks for the best API documentation tools to use this year: Postman Swagger UI ReadMe Stoplight RapidDoc 1. Postman Postman is a powerful and popular platform that helps developers build, test, and document APIs. Its API documentation tool enables you to generate machine-readable documentation to keep your APIs fresh and accurate with automatic updates. Postman is a top choice for many API development teams with its user-friendly interface and robust features. Key Features Auto Updates - Each time you make any changes to your API, the platform automatically updates your API documentation, ensuring your docs are always up-to-date. Machine-readable Documentation - Postman allows you to create structured API documentation to make it processable by applications, saving you time and dev resources. Powerful Collaboration Tools - Postman provides everything large teams need to collaborate in the cloud, promoting innovation and collaboration seamlessly. The "Run in Postman" Button - This unique feature allows third parties to import your collection in just a few clicks. Pricing The pricing packages are pretty straightforward, allowing you to seamlessly scale as you grow: Free - Postman offers a free plan that provides access to the core functionalities of the platform for up to three users. Basic ($12/mo per user) - This pricing plan unlocks all collaboration tools, ten powerful integrations, a 30-day window for deleted collection recovery, one custom domain, and 10,000 monthly calls to Postman API. Professional ($29/mo per user) - The plan contains everything included in Basic while unlocking the features that medium-sized teams need, including workspaces, basic user roles and permissions, and 100,000 calls to Postman API. Enterprise ($99/mo per user) - This plan provides large companies with the tools they need to take their API development to the next level, including 100+ integrations, public API governance, and advanced reporting tools. Why we recommend this tool: Postman is one of the most popular API management platforms both for individual developers and large teams. The API documentation tool is well-polished and can be easily integrated into virtually any ecosystem. 2. Swagger UI Swagger UI is an API documentation tool that helps developers quickly create, visualize, and understand their APIs. The platform removes the manual work of documenting APIs, allowing you to save precious dev resources and streamline your development process. Top Features Dynamic API Documentation - Swagger UI makes it easy to generate and maintain user-friendly docs to save your development team time and resources. API Mocking - Make a mock API to test your requests and responses to ensure the high accuracy of your API documentation. Hosted API Documentation - Swagger UI allows you to create interactive API documentation hosted on the platform to ensure high-security standards and user-friendliness. Import Your API Documentation - Move your existing OAS definitions to Swagger UI to boost adoption rates. Pricing The platform offers three pricing plans. Each of them has included, but you may want to switch to one of their pricing plans to unlock advanced integrations, collaboration features, and more: Free - This plan provides access to the core API documentation functionalities for one user. Team ($75/mo per user) - This pricing package unlocks advanced integrations, collaboration features, as well as chart and email support. Enterprise (a custom quote) - The pricing package is geared towards large teams looking for sophisticated tools for scaling their API development, including API standardization, on-premise installation, and SSO to ensure high-security standards. Why we recommend this tool: Swagger UI is an excellent option for large teams looking to scale their API development efforts. 3. ReadMe ReadMe is a flexible API documentation tool that empowers developers to create interactive API documentation. The dashboard looks great right out of the box, providing a stellar user experience with an easy-to-use set of tools. With ReadMe, you can use their drag-and-drop editor to build robust API documentation, giving developers everything they need to get started in no time. Top Features API Analytics - Track developer metrics to better understand and serve your API consumers from status codes to usage graphs. API Explorer - Enable your users to test how your APIs work right on the API documentation pages. Drag & Drop - Get up and running in minutes by setting up your docs and landing pages using the built-in theme builder and markdown editor. Customization - Use CSS to create a fully custom API documentation hub to align it better with your brand and digital assets. Community Building Tools - From support forums to Q&As, connect with your user base on a deeper level to improve your APIs and boost your adoption rates. Pricing ReadMe offers flexible pricing packages to make the platform accessible to small teams and large organizations alike: Free - Test out the platform with the core features unlocked, including five admin users, three API versions, and a 30-day metric history. Startup ($99/mo per project) - This plan entails everything included in Free along with custom pages and domains and the ability to create changelogs and support forums. Business ($399/mo per project) - This plan unlocks custom CSS, 404 redirect rules, and removes the ReadMe logo, helping you brand your API documentation however you see fit. Enterprise ($2,000/mo per project) - This pricing package unlocks a broad spectrum of critical features for large teams, including OAuth 2.0 authorization, multi-language support, and custom JS. Why we recommend this tool: ReadMe is a specialized API documentation tool that removed a lot of manual work for small teams, helping them focus on building their API. 4. Stoplight Stoplight is a specialized API documentation platform that allows users to describe their APIs without enduring a steep learning curve. By publishing interactive documentation, tutorials, and code samples using Stoplight, you can help internal and external users discover, learn, and use your APIs much more effectively - which boosts your API adoption rates. Top Features Developer Hub - Consolidate your public and private API docs in one place to make your APIs more manageable. Flexible Branding Tools - Stoplight offers powerful theming toolsets to make your API documentation hub congruent with your brand styling. Granular Search Functions - Stoplight supports hub-wide search, making it easy for developers and API consumers to navigate your API documentation - regardless of its size and complexity. Code Samples - Drastically shorten the learning curve for your API users by providing them with pre-built code samples and SDKs. Pricing Stoplight offers four pricing plans based on your unique API documentation needs. Free - a free plan with limited functionalities and the ability to create up to two projects. Starter ($79/mo) - This pricing plan unlocks a wide range of features, including versioning and theming Professional ($319/mo) - This pricing package includes LDAP & SAML SSO, activity logs, and up to 50 guests. Enterprise (a custom quote) - A custom pricing plan designed for large organizations. Why we recommend this tool: Stoplight has everything you need to scale your API documentation along with your APIs without any disruptions. 5. RapidDoc RapidDoc is one of the best API documentation tools available to help you quickly document your APIs with interactive and responsive docs. The platform provides an intuitive UX, allowing developers to get started right away while offering a wide range of features to make the process of documenting your APIs more manageable. Here's a quick sample showing you how RapidDoc API documentation looks like: Top Features Supports Swagger 2.0 & OpenAPI 3.x.x - RapidDoc supports the most popular API documentation formats and frameworks. Intuitive User Interface - The developers went above and beyond to create a seamless UX, including auto-expanding all examples to minimize the average number of clicks needed to navigate your API docs. Powerful Branding Functionalities - From fonts to logos, you are in control of the look and feel of your API documentation. Fast Performance - No virtual DOM, no runtime, and minimal dependencies ensure low memory consumption and fast performance. Pricing RapidDoc is free to use. Why we love this tool: RapidDoc has everything you need to set up your API documentation without the need to pay for maintaining your docs. FAQ: API Documentation Tools What Are API Documentation Tools? The purpose of API documentation tools is to make it easier for developers to design, document, and publish APIs. API documentation tools can improve your overall API development process by helping you write - or even automatically generate - clear and easy-to-follow documentation. Most API documentation tools can also generate machine-readable descriptions, helping save development resources on maintenance and versioning. Why Is API Documentation Important? API documentation is necessary because it can help improve the adoption rate of your APIs by making them accessible to both developers and non-technical users alike. The easy-of-use of your APIs is especially important as citizen development becomes more prevalent in the digital age. Good API documentation should include a clear description of the endpoint, input and output parameters, response codes, API specifications, and any other relevant information. Best Practices for Writing Good API Documentation Use the following best practices to create API documentation that moves the needle: Make your API documentation accessible for non-technical users Eliminate or minimize technical jargon Encourage feedback from your users Describe the most common use cases with examples Protect Your APIs with APIsec While documenting your APIs is crucial, protecting them. To keep your APIs protected from data breaches and other cyber threats that can wreak havoc on your reputation, APIsec developed an AI-based API security testing solution for automated, comprehensive, and continuous API testing. Want to find out more? Sign up to get a free vulnerability assessment, or contact our team today to schedule a free consultation.

"Or Login with Your Google or Facebook Account." The fact that you can use a single login to access most of your favorite go-to sites is a luxury that, while simple, has dramatically changed the way we interact with businesses online. Ditching hundreds of usernames and passwords is just one example of the incredible impact OAuth - specifically OAuth 2.0 - has had on the digital landscape. Think about it: at their core, online banking, social media, online shopping, email, video conferencing, and GPS navigation are all different forms of data and information exchange. Much of the data you trust to the internet is personal and highly sensitive. The success of the entire system depends on having a reliable way to control access to private data and ensure it is protected from unauthorized entities. OAuth 2.0 is a critical facilitator of internet activity, but it's not well understood outside a small subset of specialized developers. What Is OAuth? OAuth 2.0 is an open-standard authorization framework that allows unrelated services to safely permit authenticated access to their assets without sharing some critical central credentials — i.e., the owner's password. OAuth works on the principle of granting permission to access data rather than providing proof of identity, meaning it is an authorization protocol rather than an authentication protocol. Users delegate exactly what personal information will be revealed. OAuth works over HTTPS, authorizing servers, devices, APIs, and applications. Instead of passwords, it uses short-term access tokens. To better understand the purpose of OAuth, you might consider this often repeated analogy of a valet key. Many of today's luxury cars come equipped with a special key to be used only by a parking attendant. Unlike your standard key, the "valet version" will start the car but denies access to certain areas of the vehicle like the trunk or glove box. Nor will this key allow the vehicle to be driven more than a short distance - with speed maximums also regulated. Working on the valet key principle, OAuth allows you (the user) to grant limited access to your private resources to a third-party website without sharing your identity or password. Read More: What is API Security and Why It's Important Why OAuth Became the Industry Norm Until late 2007, there was no open standard for API access designation. To connect with a website, you'd need to provide your user name and password. So far, so good. But if another site were involved in the mix, which often happens, the second site would need them, too. Giving up your password to a separate set of hands is not only tedious but risky. Now the odds your secret could fall to the wrong person have exactly doubled. Fortunately, OAuth 1.0 and now 2.0 can eliminate the need for a do-all password and restrict these sites to necessary functions. In more practical terms, beyond the single sign-on example above, OAuth is what makes it possible to easily complete actions like posting pictures and videos from your phone to social media and paying for online purchases using your Amazon account instead of entering your credit card information. You see OAuth in action every time you grant permission for an app to access the camera on your phone or allow a browser plug-in to access your Google account. Basically, the list of OAuth-related functions that make our lives easier is exhaustive. Read More: API Terminology: A Complete List of Terms for Beginners OAuth 1.0 vs OAuth 2.0 These days, when developers speak of OAuth, they mean OAuth 2.0. In fact, the iterations differ so widely that they're incompatible. The programs can be operated separately, though that's become increasingly rare. To understand the distinctions, some clarification and history may be helpful. In late 2007, OAuth 1.0 arrived on the scene with a framework based on digital signatures. It was reliable, secure, and quickly accepted by players such as Google and Twitter. The drawback: OAuth 1.0 meant crypto-implementation and crypto-interoperability, a challenge for many developers. OAuth 2.0, released in Oct. 2012, was a totally different animal. This newer version wasn't backward-compatible with OAuth 1.0 or 1.1, and crypto was no longer part of the system. OAuth version 2.0 relies on access tokens to circumvent the need for passwords, making authorization much easier and more flexible - and also more interoperable between sites and devices. Superseding its predecessor, OAuth 2.0 has become the go-to solution for many companies, including Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Google, and Mozilla. To summarize the differences: OAuth 1.0 used complicated crypto graphics, supported only three flows, and did not scale. OAuth 2.0 has six flows for various needs and applications and enables signed secrets over HTTPS. OAuth 2.0 tokens need not be encrypted on the endpoints but are encrypted in transit. Read More: What Is OWASP API Security Top 10 & Why It's Important How It Works: The Building Blocks of OAuth 2.0 Before addressing the individual components, let's look at the sequence of events when a user initiates a website action that involves another unrelated site or service. It's assumed that the user has signed in to the first site using HTTPS. Site A uses OAuth 2.0 to connect with site B, providing the user's verified identity. Site B issues a one-use request token, along with a unique secret. Site A sends the token and the secret to the user's client software. The client software sends the request token to the authorization provider (OAuth's main engine). If, for any reason, there’s been no authentication to the provider, the client is asked to approve the authentication to site B. The user (or the user's software) approves a specific type of transaction on-site A. The request token now becomes an approved access token and is awarded to the user. In turn, the user gives the approved access token to site A. Site A now gives the access token to site B. This demonstrates proof of authentication. Site B (at last) allows site A access on behalf of the user. Mission accomplished. The discussion of how OAuth 2.0 works can easily become highly technical. At a high level, the basic building blocks and their functions fall into five central components. Scopes and Consent Actors Clients Tokens Flows Now, let's break down each of the components in greater detail. 1. Scopes and Consent Scopes are mechanisms that define permissions and set boundaries for what an application or service does or does not have access to. When an app sends an authorization request, the user is presented with the specific scope of the request and must authorize consent. This consent serves as proof of authorization and allows an access token to be granted. 2. Actors There are four actors appearing in an OAuth flow: The resource owner owns the data for which access is requested. The resource owner can be an individual end-user or a company. Circling back to our valet key analogy, you are the resource owner of the luxury car. The resource server is the API or server that securely stores the data the application or service has requested to access. The resource server must accept and validate an access token from the requesting application to grant access to the data. In our analogy, the resource server is the car's computer that verifies the validity of the valet key. The client is the application or service requesting access to the data the resource server is protecting. Clients gain access to the requested resources by presenting a valid access token to the resource server. Again, using our analogy, the client is the valet attendant who's requesting to move the car. The authorization server handles token management and is, therefore, where most of OAuth takes place. Access requests from the client are directed to the authorization server. Once the resource owner has seen the scopes and provided consent, the authorization server issues a new access token to the resource server. 3. Clients Clients can be either confidential or public. Confidential clients are what the name implies — they keep secrets. They run in safe areas and can't be accessed by end-users. Public clients are less secure entities such as browsers, mobile apps, and IoT devices, while confidential clients are more secure and can be granted more access to secure resources. 4. Tokens There are two types of token actors in OAuth flows — access tokens and refresh tokens. Access tokens are granted by the authorization server and used to access the data in the resource server. They typically allow clients to access resources for a few minutes up to a few hours. Refresh tokens are only granted to confidential clients with secure authentication protocols and can be valid for days, months, or even years - they can also be used to get new access tokens for other clients. When you kill a refresh token, you get a new, cryptographically signed access token. Typically, these are formatted in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) and are known as JSON Web Tokens, or JWTs (pronounced "jots"). JWTs allow digital signatures (also known as claims), which can be later verified with a secret signing key. Tokens are retrieved from two primary endpoints on the authorization server. First is the "authorize endpoint" that grants user consent and authorization. The authorization then passes to the "token endpoint," where the grant is processed and both the refresh token and access tokens are awarded. The access token is the key to accessing the APIs. But once expired, it takes another trip to the token endpoint, with the refresh token, to do it all again. 5. Flows Flows are the series of steps and authorization grant types required for clients to access the requested resources. OAuth 2.0 includes six flows intended for different types of interactions. Implicit flow involves granting short-term access tokens to public clients. Authorization code flow is the most secure flow and uses a combination of authorization code grants and access tokens. Client Credential Flow is meant to handle server-to-server access requests from confidential clients. Resource Owner Password flow is rarely used and not recommended for most use cases. Assertion Flow is similar to client credential flow and makes allowance for the use of federation. Device Flow handles access requests made via a smart device such as a TV screen. Potential Downsides of OAuth 2.0 or Why It's Not Enough to Secure Your APIs As welcomed as OAuth 2.0 has been by developers and end-users for protecting private data, there have also been detractors. Some have slammed the severe changes between versions 1.0 and 2.0, not without reason. OAuth 2.0 is significantly less secure than its predecessor and more complex. The greatest criticism of OAuth2.0 may be that it doesn't directly support client verification, signature, or channel binding. Detractors charge that OAuth 2.0 creators chose to concentrate on increased interoperability between sites and devices rather than provide additional range and security. OAuth has suggested using a third-party protection protocol such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) to provide the additional features. While OAuth 2.0 is a step forward in the safe use of private data, it's nowhere near enough to protect your API from broken object-level authorization (BOLA) vulnerabilities that rank #1 in the OWASP API Security Top 10 list. Companies rely on automated API security testing platforms to comprehensively test their APIs to keep up with ever-evolving security standards. APIsec provides just that by leveraging the power of AI to test your APIs across a wide range of vulnerabilities automatically. The setup process takes minutes (not days or weeks), allowing you to save countless hours of your highly-paid developers while completely eliminating human error from the equation. Are you looking to see APIsec in action? Reach out to our team today for a free security assessment.

Gartner predicts that APIs will become the primary attack vector in 2022, so API testing tools are in high demand right now. With more frequent and incredibly sophisticated cyberattacks looming, the challenge to protect your API assets from data breaches that can permanently - and often, irrevocably - damage your brand's reputation has to be a top priority. Companies that don't have a well-polished API security strategy in place can easily fall victim to these attacks and see their revenue plummet. To help you stay ahead of hackers, we compiled the five best API security testing tools, ranked based on their functionalities, ease of use, test coverage, reporting systems, and integration capabilities. What Are the Best API Security Testing Tools? Here are our top picks for the best API security testing tools: APIsec Burp Suite Acunetix beSECURE Zap 1. APIsec APIsec is a comprehensive API security testing platform that automatically monitors your APIs around the clock to protect them from vulnerabilities, data breaches, and other cyber threats. The platform leverages the power of AI to offer comprehensive, continuous, and automated testing of all of your APIs and endpoints. APIsec is the only automated API security testing solution that writes security test cases for you. After that, the tool will automatically execute those tests to ensure full coverage. These factors make APIsec an excellent option for companies looking for ways to save development resources while increasing their test coverage and eliminating human error. Key Features: Test every endpoint and method against OWASP risks Identify business logic flaws Execute complete API test suites in minutes, not hours or days Automatically generate security and logic tests Integrate with CI/CD for automated testing on every release Extensive reporting capabilities, including audit-ready pen-test reports Offers free API pen-test service Pricing: APIsec offers a flexible pricing structure to help you seamlessly scale your API security testing as your company grows. Free - get a free API assessment covering the entire OWASP API Security Top 10 list. Standard - $500/month (billed annually). Professional - $1,950/month (billed annually). Enterprise - based on your unique API testing needs. Get started with APIsec today to get a free vulnerability assessment. 2. Burp Suite Burp Suite is a security testing tool used by over 15,000 organizations and 60,000 developers worldwide. The Burp Suite offers API security tools and modules that allow pen testers and developers to find security vulnerabilities and issues within your APIs. Burp Suite is a popular tool among many API security testers for its robust features, affordability, and ease of use. Key Features: Extensive manual penetration features Uncover hidden attack surface Construct CSRF exploits Powerful brute-forcing and fuzzing functionalities Pricing: Burp Suite offers a three-tier pricing model for organizations to use their resources more effectively: Starter - $6,995 per year Grow - $14,480 per year Accelerate - from $29,450 per year 3. Acunetix Acunetix is a web vulnerability scanner that has been on the market for over ten years, helping development teams secure websites, web applications, and APIs. The platform provides you with complete security reports that are easy to understand and implement. Key Features: Detect over 7,000 web and 50,000 network vulnerabilities. Automatically prioritize your high-risk vulnerabilities OWASP Top 10 scanning Unlimited web scanning Eliminate false positives Increase your test coverage Pricing: The price tag depends on your unique API security testing needs. Acunetix requires you to sign a multi-year, long-term contract. 4. beSECURE beSECURE is a cloud-based vulnerability assessment solution that helps you quickly and easily identify vulnerabilities in your APIs. For those without any prior experience or training, beSECURE offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy to get started. Key Features: Flexible reporting Continuous scanning of network vulnerabilities Supply workflow capabilities for prioritizing and tracking remediation efforts. A bug bounty program aimed at eliminating false positives and negatives. Pricing: beSECURE doesn't offer structured pricing packages, providing you with a custom quote based on your needs. 5. Zap Designed and supported by OWASP, Zap is a tool used to run and manage API security tests. Zap allows you to create, schedule, and automate your own custom vulnerability scans based on the OWASP best practices. Key Features: Test your web applications and API across the entire OWASP Top 10 list Free to use Easy integrations with third-party tools and platforms Pricing: Zap is a free tool maintained by a dedicated team of international volunteers to make the Web a safer place. What Are API Security Testing Tools? API security testing tools are used to identify vulnerabilities and security issues in APIs. Pen testers, developers, and security specialists can adopt these tools to find, exploit, and fix vulnerabilities in their applications. the APIsec is a web application security scanner that uses automated vulnerability. The tools listed above represent some of the most popular and effective options available today. Final Thoughts: Best API Security Testing Tools So, there you have it: the five best API security testing tools in 2022. Each of these tools has its own unique set of features and benefits, so be sure to choose the one that best suits your needs. Are you looking for ways to get started with API security testing? Get in touch with our team today to get a free vulnerability scan.

APIs are the engine powering our connected world. The API economy has grown exponentially in the past few years, and API calls now make up at least 83% of all web traffic. APIs facilitate interaction and secure data exchange between applications, making the online activities and automatic transactions we take for granted possible. Companies have figured out how to utilize APIs to improve their operations and drive incredible revenue, but there's a downside. The access to sensitive data and critical systems make APIs a primary cyberattack target and a major security risk for your business. According to recent data shared by top cybersecurity researchers, more than 90% of surveyed companies have experienced an API-related cyberattack or data breach in the last year. Recent API attacks on companies like Venmo, Facebook, and the United States Post Office resulted in massive data leaks affecting hundreds of millions of users. Your API may not have quite that many users, but security should still be one of your top priorities. The best way to keep your API secure and performing at a high level is frequent, thorough testing — which was virtually impossible until API testing automation software was developed. In this guide, we'll cover some API testing basics, talk about why it matters for your business, and briefly explore some tools you can use to improve API security and performance. What Is API Testing vs. API Monitoring? First, we need to distinguish between API testing and API monitoring. They're often misunderstood and mischaracterized as competing options when, in reality, the exact opposite is true — API testing and API monitoring are both critical to API security. The easiest way to understand the difference between the two is to imagine you're securing a house. If you wanted to keep your home safe, you would likely install a security system to constantly monitor and report any break-ins or suspicious activity. In the API world, API monitoring is equivalent to the security system you would install for your home. API monitoring systems alert your team when there is a security breach, so they can react swiftly to patch the system and limit the amount of data loss or other harm. Seems simple enough, right? Now let's talk about how API testing fits into the picture. Let's go back to our hypothetical house. Even with a reliable security system installed, you wouldn't be able to sleep soundly at night without checking to make sure all the doors and windows were securely locked. The reason you would check and double-check your doors is obvious: alarms and security systems are great, but you would much rather prevent intruders from entering your house than deal with the consequences of a break-in. API testing is like making sure your doors and windows are locked. It's an oversimplified comparison, but, like checking your locks, API testing involves systematically checking your API for security vulnerabilities and closing any loopholes that hackers can exploit with malicious intent. API testing and API monitoring are both absolutely critical to your DevSecOps flow — the combination of these two security measures is the only way you can be confident your API is safe and secure. Read More: 3 Steps for an Effective API Testing Process How Automation Has Transformed API Security Testing for Digital Businesses Let's visit our hypothetical house one last time. If your house is a one-bedroom apartment, manually checking your doors and windows is quick and easy. If you have a comfortable single-family home with four or five doors and two dozen or so windows, the nightly check is more tedious but still manageable. Now imagine the house you want to secure is Buckingham Palace — with 1,500 doors and 760 windows. Manually checking each one becomes an impossible task. The same is true for API testing. APIs have dozens or hundreds of endpoints — each of which performs various functions and supports multiple methods and input parameters. Depending on the complexity of your API, that means you can have anywhere from hundreds to thousands of potential security vulnerabilities and attack vectors for determined cybercriminals. It's impossible to test them all after every new build or update manually, but for a long time, manual testing was the only option development teams had. The complexity of manual testing often meant API security testing only happened once or twice per year — giving cyber attackers plenty of time and opportunity to find and exploit business logic flaws and other security loopholes. Automated API testing platforms have completely transformed API security testing. There's no more need for tedious and error-prone manual testing. Instead, testing platforms execute a series of comprehensive automated tests covering every API in its entirety. The automated tests cover all possible scenarios needed to verify your API is working, secure, reliable, and performing as expected. They find bugs or flaws in the source code so that your dev team can proactively fix them before any bad actors can find and exploit them. How Automated API Testing Helps Your Business API test automation gives testers and developers an easier way to achieve better testing results — and better testing benefits your entire business. Let's look at three ways automated API testing helps boost your business. Automation Saves Your Dev Resources for Development Your developers are probably some of your highest-paid employees, and you want them to spend most of their valuable time on innovative development — not on repetitive testing. Automation helps you achieve that goal. Less time spent testing means your developers have more time to fix bugs and build new products or features instead of writing and running manual tests. As a result, you’ll be able to improve innovation and quality to keep up with changing business and customer demands by building, testing, and releasing more bug fixes, features, and products at a much faster pace. Eliminate Human Error in API Testing API testing is complex because APIs are complex. APIs are built to be flexible, interact with multiple other systems, and do a lot of things in between — which means there’s lots of room for updates and changes to unintentionally cause security problems. To test for all possible errors and security vulnerabilities, you need a vast amount of perfectly coded test scenarios. Your developers are skilled, but they’re still human - and humans make mistakes. When it comes to API security testing, mistakes can lead to major security breaches. Automated API testing eliminates human error and enables you to test how your APIs respond to a broad spectrum of API calls and conditions. The result is excellent test coverage and peace of mind knowing your team has tested all possible scenarios without overlooking any critical details. Read More: What Is OWASP API Security Top 10 & Why It's Important Automated API Testing Takes Seconds, Not Hours Manual API testing is time-consuming and requires significant coding and API expertise to execute. With APIs, there’s no UI, so you have to know what you’re doing and be able to write code at the command level. As you can imagine, it’s a slow process. A single test can take hours to write and run. In addition to being slow, manual testing gets very expensive very fast because of all the hours required from your developers. Automated tests take seconds to execute. You can run an entire testing program in minutes as opposed to the weeks required to do the same thing with manual testing. As a result, automated testing drastically reduces the time your team spends on API testing planning, writing, and running tests — and the cost associated with these activities. Automated API testing is also repeatable and scalable. With the help of automation, your testing can keep pace with development and business demand without sacrificing quality. No matter how complex your APIs get, you can test them every time you make changes to the code and verify that the adjustments or improvements you made to one function didn’t have unpredicted consequences elsewhere. While most API testing automation tools execute all the tests that you manually create for you, you still have to sit down and author all those thousands of test scenarios - so simply automating the execution isn't enough. However, there is a way to automate both test creation and execution. Below, we cover some of the best API testing automation tools to help you build robust APIs. Top 4 Best Tools for Automated API Testing If you follow Agile development practices, you’ve most likely already embraced some form of automation as part of your CI/CD process. If not — what are you waiting for? It’s time to introduce and expand the use of automation in your API testing process. There are a lot of tools that can run tests extremely well - but few can actually create tests and give you complete coverage of every endpoint, method, OWASP category, and attack vector to thoroughly protect your data. Read More: API Security: 10 Best Practices To Protect Your Data Let’s run through four API test automation platforms that we trust to secure your API environment for both functional and security testing. 1. APIsec APIsec stands out as the only fully automated security testing platform in the world of API automation. APIsec combines human cybersecurity expertise with the power of AI to help you test and scale your APIs. APIsec is the only automated API security testing solution that actually creates and executes tests for you to give you compete coverage, checking every endpoint, method, OWASP category, and attack vector. 2. Postman Postman’s mission is to help you build better APIs faster using its API building and testing platform. Postman is a popular choice for developers working with RESTful APIs. Users appreciate the intuitive UI and the ability to quickly create and run functional tests, integration tests, regression tests, and a variety of other tests. There’s a free version for cost-conscious developers, but it lacks many of the features of the full version. However, you still have to create tests before Postman can automatically execute them. 3. BurpSuite BurpSuite is a popular tool for semi-automated API security testing. The free version includes tools to help with manual testing, while the paid version offers penetration testing and vulnerability scans to help you improve and maintain security. One of the most effective features is the ability to perform continuous API security testing using a recurring series of automated checks. For more in-depth testing, you can take advantage of a suite of manual and semi-automated test creation tools to speed up your process and run more scenarios. 4. Zap Zap is unique in two ways: it's completely free, and it's continuously maintained and improved by a volunteer team of international API testing experts and enthusiasts. Zap offers both helpful videos and resources to get you started with API automation and an extensive suite of tools to help you develop and execute a thorough API security testing process. Automate Your API Security Testing With APIsec Whether fully automated like APIsec, or another platform with less robust features, utilizing automated API testing is beneficial for boosting your security testing. Through comprehensive penetration testing and vulnerability scans, the software can uncover business logic flaws along with other security loopholes hackers can exploit, Read More: API Security: 10 Best Practices To Protect Your Data However you use it, automated API testing takes your development process to the next level of speed and efficiency while maintaining and even improving the quality of your releases. When it comes to API threats, the most dangerous vulnerabilities come from business logic, role configuration, and access control flaws, making traditional web security, pen-testing, and WAF approaches obsolete against the top API exploits. APIsec is the first fully automated API security testing platform that can instantly detect and fix the most damaging security threats in the API layer, offering a unique spectrum of benefits: AI-Powered: The APIsec bot instantly writes custom validations as playbooks for your APIs, giving you complete control and visibility of your API layer, automatically detecting, prioritizing, and helping you fix vulnerabilities. Cost-effective: Drastically reduce the cost of API testing across the board by leveraging the power of our AI-based solution. Continuous & Automatic: APIsec integrates with all major CI/CD tools and automatically manages vulnerabilities across all major engineering issue tracking and IT ticketing systems. Not only does automation helps you save time and money, but it also enables you to share and resolve issues a lot faster. Comprehensive Coverage: Covers dozens of modern exploits in business logic, role assignment, access control, multi-tenancy, and injection flaws. Schedule a free vulnerability scan or contact our team to schedule a consultation.

APIs have already become the most frequent attack vector for cybercriminals. The first step towards creating a safe environment for your user base is to cover the basics of API Security by implementing a set of core security measures. To help you get started, in this article, we provide a checklist that examines the essential API security measures to protect yourself from data breaches and other cyber threats. What Is an API Security Checklist, and How You Should Use It? An API security checklist covers a set of critical security measures needed to lay the technical foundation that fortifies your APIs against cyber threats. Additionally, you need to run a complete API security check each time you release a patch, update your build, or even slightly tweak the source code. These checks will help you avoid creating new loopholes when you remediate an old problem. For that reason, organizations typically utilize automated API security tools to achieve full visibility and coverage of their APIs (but more on that later). We’ve based some of our recommendations on industry-leading security guidelines, such as found in the OWASP API Security Top 10 list. The rest stem from our experience working with organizations of all sizes. Read More: What Is OWASP API Security Top 10 & Why It's Important Section 1: Authentication & Authorization Authentication and authorization vulnerabilities are widely recognized as one of the most common clusters of API threats. Authentication mechanisms act to validate the identity of your API users, while authorization measures ensure that only authorized users gain access to the data and functionalities of your API based on the privileges granted to their users. Below, we list the steps you need to take to protect your API from authentication and authorization vulnerabilities. Authentication & Authorization Checklist: Avoid Basic Authentication Implement Two-Factor Authentication Enforce Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1. Avoid Basic Authentication While Basic Authentication is easy and straightforward, we don’t recommend you rely on it due to its inherent security flaws. Instead, consider using API keys, OAuth, or OpenID as much safer substitutes for a standard combination of a login and password. If you must rely on Basic Authentication, credentials are the first line of protection against any unauthorized access to an API. Implementing a strong password policy is a simple yet powerful security measure you can enforce right away without major costs involved. Some best practice tips for a strong password policy include: At least ten characters long A combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, and special characters Do not belong to the list of the most common passwords Do not include any personal information that can be used to identify an API consumer- birth dates, for example 2. Implement Two-Factor Authentication Two-factor authentication (2FA or TFA) is a method of user validation where an API consumer needs to verify their identity in two distinct ways before they can access their account. For example, when a user attempts to log in using the regular username and password, the system also requests verification via email, phone, and sometimes biometrics. This second layer of authentication creates more work for the hacker and sometimes makes it impossible for them to gain access at all. Say a login triggers a code sent to a user’s phone. When that's the case, a hacker would need both the password and physical possession of the device to gain unauthorized access. Implementing 2FA prevents cybercriminals from breaking in even when login credentials have been compromised. 3. Enforce Transport Layer Security (TLS) Transport Layer Security (TLS) encrypts any data in transit between the client and the server, preventing unauthorized third parties from hijacking or modifying the message along the way. This protects your APIs from a massive range of vulnerabilities such as eavesdropping attacks (aka man-in-the-middle attacks). The TLS protocol ensures all information sent from the client remains out of reach to anyone other than the intended recipient. Any web service without TLS should be considered insecure as it exposes sensitive user data such as passwords or credit card information to cyber attacks. Read More: API Terminology: A Complete List of Terms for Beginners. Section 2: Access Control Attackers don’t even need to sign up to wreak havoc when an API has access control issues. For that reason, it's critical to make sure they can't access the functionalities and data that can be used to achieve malicious goals regardless of how they interact with your API. To help you get started, consider implementing the following security measures to mitigate the risk and severity of data breaches. Access Control Checklist: Implement a Zero-Trust Security Model Implement API Rate Limiting Address Excessive Data Exposure Issues 1. Implement a Zero-Trust Security Model Traditionally, certain user groups - like admins or employees - get a certain amount of trust within an API infrastructure by default. However, with hackers coming up with more ways to penetrate the defense lines of APIs each year, this approach failed. As a countermeasure, the zero-trust security model represents a paradigm shift from placing a certain amount of unconditional trust in some user groups to eliminating the concept of trust when it comes to API governance. In other words, this model means that no entity - be it within or outside the organization - should be trusted unless they’ve been properly authenticated and authorized. But it doesn’t stop just there. Since each user is considered a potential security threat, they are being constantly monitored for any malicious activity even after getting verified by your APIs. Apart from preventing hackers from causing damage if they gain access to one of your user accounts, this approach also prevents insider threats, which account for roughly 60 percent of data breaches. From malicious intent to negligence and human error, your employees are capable of exposing your system for hackers to go in and wreak havoc on your organization. And the zero-trust model is the first step towards preventing that from happening. 2. Implement API Rate Limiting Providing unlimited access to your API for every consumer is a recipe for disaster, opening it up to myriad ways for hackers to exploit it - especially as you grow your active user base. API rate limiting refers to a set of measures aimed at managing API traffic by enforcing certain limitations and restrictions related to: The number of requests a given user or IP address can send over a certain period of time The number of requests your API can process at any given time Any additional fees related to sending new API calls once the limit has been exceeded The way an API reacts once any of the rate limits have been reached - from redirecting the user to an error page to triggering an alarm to the development and security teams The primary goal of rate limiting is to protect your APIs from DDoS and brute force attacks, both of which entail submitting a large number of requests within a short timeframe. It prevents users from making too many calls at once or making too many calls in a short time, which can overload the API and cause the system to crash. As an added benefit, you lay a solid foundation for seamlessly scaling up your APIs, improving the overall performance and stability of your application. To get started, consider the following four rate limiting strategies you can adopt to manage your resources without interfering with user experience effectively: Leaky Bucket: an algorithm that approaches rate limiting with queues -first in, first out Token Bucket: an algorithm that approaches rate limiting with fixed capacity buckets Fixed Window: time-based rate limiting algorithm that processes requests based on time limits Sliding Log: time-stamped logs for each request 3. Address Excessive Data Exposure Issues Excessive data exposure is an OWASP vulnerability that stems from giving users information outside what they primarily need to execute a task. Some common examples of excessive data exposure include leaving login credentials in the URL string and having your error page expose the build and version of your server. This exposed data allows hackers to abuse vulnerabilities like these to understand how your API works from within. When hackers understand how your API works, they become more effective at finding loopholes and have better chances to reach their malicious goals. For instance, if a hacker knows that your servers run on Apache, this alone makes their job much easier since they can proceed to try penetrating your defense lines using publicly known Apache vulnerabilities. To prevent scenarios like this from even happening to you, examine the following elements of your API where most excessive data exposure vulnerabilities typically occur: Error pages URL strings API responses Data in transit Data at rest The client - especially when it comes to filtering data To make APIs safer for your users, you should also stop clients from filtering data, minimize return responses, and adopt OpenAPI and RAML standards to limit the exposure of excessive data. Read More: API Security: How to Add the Sec in DevSecOps Section 3: Input & Output Any user input can be potentially used to bypass your API security systems since it’s often used to call other code. In this section, we cover the essential security measures to make it harder for hackers to manipulate user input to reach their malicious goals. Access Control Checklist: Always Validate User Input Enforce HTTP Methods Conduct API Fuzz Input Testing Test for SQL Injections Restrict Parameter Tampering 1. Always Validate User Input We can’t stress this enough - you should treat any user input as a tool that hackers can potentially use to gain unauthorized access to the functionalities and data of your API. That’s why it’s essential to validate all user input regardless of the privileges assigned to the user submitting it - invalid user data should trigger an error and should not be processed by an API while valid input should meet all of the criteria specified by developers. Armed with this approach, analyze where and how your API consumers can submit user input. Once there, proceed to limit the fields and data types they can use to a bare minimum without hurting the UX or scaling back your API functionality. 2. Enforce HTTP Methods Enforcing HTTP methods refers to the practice of restricting the range of HTTP methods a user can use to perform a certain task. For instance, your API consumers should only be able to use the GET method when requesting to check their account balance. In this case, if developers don’t restrict HTTP methods, a user can hypothetically use the POST, PUT, or PATCH method to modify their account balance without your permission. This simple example demonstrates the importance of double-checking which HTTP methods users can use while performing a certain task. Any operations that do not match the allowed methods should result in a 405 Method Not Allowed response. 3. Conduct API Fuzz Input Testing Fuzz testing is a technique that feeds an API large amounts of typically malformed data in an attempt to expose vulnerabilities within your API. The goal is to trigger and identify unexpected API responses that can be exploited by hackers or crash the system. This straightforward yet powerful API test ensures the stability of your API and helps you polish up the design for better performance. Here’s the list of the tools you can use to conduct API fuzz testing: Fuzzapi Wapiti Wfuzz 4. Test for SQL Injections As one of the traditional ways for hackers to penetrate systems, SQL injections refer to the practice of manipulating database queries to achieve a malicious outcome - be it stealing sensitive data or gaining editing privileges. Using SQL injection testing, you can determine whether it is possible to inject data into an API to cause it to run a user-controlled SQL query in a database and potentially access and manipulate sensitive data. You can use on - or the combination of - the following tools to test SQL injections: SQLmap SQLninja SQLSus APIsec 5. Restrict Parameter Tampering A parameter tampering attack refers to manipulating URL parameters or form field data to get unauthorized access to the data and functionalities of an API that a given user is not supposed to see. The following elements are the most common targets of parameter tampering attacks. Cookies Form fields URL query strings HTTP headers For instance, when an application relies on hidden fields to store status or technical data, a hacker can identify and modify those fields to break in. Here are some of the security measures you can implement to prevent parameter tampering attacks: Using regex to validate data Removing parameters from URL query strings Setting up a whitelist of formats for an API Encrypting session cookies Read More: Critical API Security Risks: Understanding Cyber Threats to APIs. Section 4: API Security Testing Every feature or functionality of your API is a potential vulnerability that hackers can exploit. After you have successfully made it through the past three phases mapped out above, you need to ensure that your API adequately responds to standard API tests. While most of the tests mentioned below are not aimed at improving API security directly, each of them can point out hidden technical issues and vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can use to steal your sensitive data to hurt your user base. API Security Checklist: Conduct Functional Tests Carry out Performance Tests Execute a Penetration Test Run a Vulnerability Scan We covered the process in its entirety in our guide to the API testing process, so we’ll only cover the key ideas below. 1. Functional Testing The goal of functional testing is to examine how different elements of your API work both in unison and in isolation to ensure your system works like clockwork. Some of the functional tests include: Smoke testing analyzes the most critical functionalities to understand whether the current build is stable. Sanity testing verifies the stability of new features and functionalities. Regression testing confirms that any new changes to the source code - from rolling out security patches to implementing new functionalities - do not negatively impact or create vulnerabilities within the existing functionalities Integration testing analyzes how different functional modules work together. Usability testing helps uncover any user-facing technical issues hurting the UX. 2. Performance Testing Performance testing analyzes how your API works under stress when a massive spike of API traffic overloads the system. Load and stress testing ensures that an API can withstand a large amount of API traffic without crashing the system. Volume and capacity testing tries to identify the performance limits of your API, analyzing the number of requests the system can process while maintaining high performance levels. Reliability testing identifies how much time it takes for an API to recover after an incident has occurred - and whether it can autonomously deal with it without the need to involve API developers. 3. Penetration Testing & Vulnerability Scans Finally, once you have followed the entire checklist, you need to test your entire API using the two most common API security testing methods: a penetration test and a vulnerability scan. A penetration test (also called ethical hacking) simulates an API attack to uncover vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of - while a vulnerability scan analyzes your API across the most popular API security loopholes using industry-standard guidelines such as the OWASP Top 10 API Security list. Read More: What Is OWASP API Security Top 10 & Why It's Important Final Warning: No Checklist Is Enough to Keep Your API Safe Even though the checklist exhaustively covers a wide range of API vulnerabilities, it’s nowhere near enough to keep yourself protected from the ever-evolving techniques and methods of hackers. This mainly has to do with the fact that any API is a complex system where virtually each of its elements can, in one way or another, be abused by hackers. Also, no matter how detailed your checklist actually is, it fails to effectively tackle the most dangerous type of API vulnerabilities - business logic flaws. When your users can abuse legitimate functionalities of your API to steal your data or perform actions they are not allowed to, it doesn’t take a hacker to cause damage - every API consumer becomes a real threat. So, how do some of the world’s largest tech companies tackle this issue? Luckily, we know the answer. Manual security tests take a massive amount of time and resources - and can only be done a few times per year. Tools like APIsec help development teams stay ahead of cybercriminals with AI-based solutions that empower organizations to monitor their APIs around the clock —and across hundreds of potential API vulnerabilities. From the entire OWASP list to business logic flaws, our platform makes it possible to run a complete API security check within minutes for a small fraction of the cost of hiring cybersecurity experts - all while completely eliminating human error from the equation. Get in touch with our team today to get a free vulnerability scan of your API.

The fact that excessive data exposure is consistently in the top three of the top ten API Security threats, according to OWASP, year after year should help highlight the prevalence and importance of addressing it within your own APIs. 91% of enterprise security officials had an API security incident in 2020, including major companies like Paypal, Facebook, and Equifax - which saw massive losses to their reputation and company value due to those data breaches. But what is excessive data exposure? And what are the best ways to protect your APIs from falling victim to a cyber-attack targeting this vulnerability? What is Excessive Data Exposure and Why Is It on the OWASP Top 10 List? Excessive data exposure occurs when an application, via API response, returns more information than necessary for a user to perform a specific action. When web and mobile apps regularly rely on API calls that return more information to the user than necessary, those responses expose unfiltered data that an attacker can take advantage of to gain sensitive information. An illustration of how excessive data exposure occurs and the harm that can be done if, for example, an e-store owner wants to pull customers' names and locations to use in a marketing campaign. Here's what such an API request might look like: https://yourestore.com/api/v1/customers/show?customer_id=123 The API would then pull the entire object from the database, including the information you're looking for: { "id": 123, "username": "user123", "real_name": "John Doe", "location": "San Antonio, TX", "phone_number": "321-123-4565", "address": "514 W Commerce St, San Antonio, TX, USA", "creditCard": "2342 3424 5323 1234", "CVV": "123", “validUntil": "2030” } Excessive data exposure then occurs when the API returns too much information, instead of filtering only the fields required, which should look like this: { "id": 123, "real_name": "John Doe", "location": "San Antonio, TX" " } When API developers mistakenly think that since data is not visible, it's not susceptible - that is when companies open their APIs to sensitive data exposure which can result in horrible situations like identity theft, fraud, and even leaked trade secrets. With over 155.8 million individuals in the US affected by data breaches in 2020 alone, protecting sensitive data exposure has been a major focus for the OWASP organization to help developers understand that hidden data is still highly vulnerable to attackers. Read More: How to Secure an API: Best Practices - APIsec How To Protect Your APIs Against Excessive Data Exposure Thankfully, there are measures you can take to protect your APIs from exposing sensitive data unnecessarily. When you stop your APIs from sending excessive data, it becomes much more challenging for cybercriminals to gain access to anything you don't want them to see. These six tips will go a long way to locking down your data from those with malicious intent. 1. Restrict the Client from Performing Data Filtering Delegating data filtering to the client is a shortcut hackers are more than willing to take advantage of to steal your sensitive data. The golden rule is simple: never leave data filtering to the client when dealing with sensitive user information. Accessing raw, unfiltered information is the gold standard for cybercriminals, so you need to take full control of your sensitive data from start to finish to actually protect it. Instead of giving away entire data objects, craft specific API responses to all of the most common API calls to limit the flow of data to only fields necessary to complete a specific action. If absolutely necessary to return sensitive data, consider masking the data. 2. Control & Minimize Returns In Your API Responses As we mentioned before, reviewing your most common use cases to minimize the amount of data all of your API responses contain to the bare minimum is the best way to avoid excessive data exposure. Every response and every data field must be treated as a vulnerability that can potentially be exposed because they are. Minimizing the returns not only lowers the attack surface but also shields your full data set, making it harder for attackers to get a complete understanding of the systems being used and discover critical vulnerabilities. 3. Encrypt Data During Transit and at Rest Encrypting data during transit with methods like SSL, TLS, or FTPS significantly reduces the likelihood of third parties gaining access to sensitive data even if they managed to hijack an API response. Instead of capturing valuable, potentially sensitive data, hackers get a combination of random numbers and symbols that will remain completely useless without a specific key required to decode them. 4. Automate API Security Monitoring An API is a complex system, so it’s not uncommon to see new vulnerabilities pop up as a direct result of patching up API security loopholes in the first place. The problem is that even if you inspected every part of your code to protect your API, you need a full API security check every time you update your build, release a new feature, or even fix a few bugs here and there. Doing that manually is not a realistic option as each API test takes a considerable amount of resources to execute. Automated API security testing tools completely eliminate those issues by leveraging the power of AI to monitor APIs around the clock across hundreds of potential vulnerabilities. APIsec allows you to do just that, providing automated, comprehensive, and continuous API testing to keep your API protected. Are you ready to give it a try? Get in touch with our team today to get a free vulnerability assessment.

The demand for APIs has skyrocketed over the last five years, with some platforms reporting API requests jumping from less than half a million in 2016 to over 46 million as of January 2021... an increase of over 9,100%. And perhaps predictably, the rise in the number of attacks targeting these APIs has increased at a similar rate, with IBM reporting that two-thirds of all cloud breaches can be traced back to misconfigured APIs. With such rapid growth in API adoption, it's easy to see how so many organizations could overlook proper testing. Still, with an average cost of a data breach equating to millions of dollars - iron-clad testing processes cannot be ignored anymore. In this article, we're going to look at a 3-step testing process that will enable your business to create an effective, resilient, and most importantly, secure API. What is API Testing? API testing is the process of analyzing an API to verify its functionality, integrity, and security. The primary goal of API testing is to tackle any bugs and vulnerabilities that may expose the API to cyber threats and malfunctions, ensuring a safe and user-friendly environment for the end-user. How to Conduct API Testing Historically, testing the API started after the development team finished working on the code and prepared to deploy the API to the market. However, this approach consistently led to costly last-minute changes as bugs get more expensive to fix with each completed milestone. These high costs left teams to decide whether to delay the launch to improve and secure their APIs or push to the market and hope for the best, and we already discussed how that turned out. Recently, there has been a movement for "shift-left testing," a concept that promotes continuous testing as early as possible in the software development cycle. By allowing teams to take more time during each phase of the development process, a shift-left mindset enables developers to identify bugs and vulnerabilities that could result in serious issues if left unresolved. With the shift-left framework in mind, proper API testing begins with looking at all of the core aspects of an API that needs to be addressed and baking the necessary time into each step to run the required steps. Let's take a look at the three steps required to build and execute a comprehensive testing strategy: Step 1: Understand the Types of API Testing 1. Functional Testing Functional testing analyzes how the entire system operates with tests looking at everything from the fundamental capabilities required even to use the API, all the way to how well the API holds up when put in the hands of actual end-users. Functional tests look at how each element of your API works in isolation and how they work together, helping you identify major user-facing issues before the product makes it to the market. Some of the most common types of functional testing include: Smoke testing verifies critical functionalities - for instance, whether the application starts correctly. Sanity and regression testing ensure build stability after each release or update to troubleshoot bugs or add new functionality. Integration testing explores how well various functional modules work well together to uncover any compatibility issues. Usability testing examines how a small sample of real users interact with the API and uncovers any issues that the development team may not have predicted. When to start functional testing: Functional testing needs to begin immediately and run consistently throughout the build, deployment, and beyond. Ensuring core functionality remains intact, along with a positive user experience, is critical to the widespread adoption of any API. 2. Performance Testing At this point, you have an app that works and has even withstood an initial barrage of real-life user testing - but if you're like most companies - you intend for the usage of your API to extend to a much wider audience after a widely successful launch. In comes the second type of API testing: load and performance testing. Performance testing analyzes the capability of your API to withstand the massive amounts of stress that result from thousands, or tens of thousands, of requests per minute or hour based on your projected requirements. Comprehensive and consistent load and performance testing can identify any issues that need to be resolved and help set benchmarks for performance data that can be useful when allocating resources in the future. Some of the most common types of performance testing include: Load and stress testing to analyze the functionality of an API while it processes various levels of traffic - from normal usage to massive spikes to identify breaking points. Volume and capacity testing measure the performance of the API to provide deeper insights into how many requests the system can process while maintaining high-performance levels. Reliability testing analyzes how long it takes for the system to recover after an incident - and its capacity to recover independently without development resources. When to start performance testing: Typically, performance testing begins in the initial design phases to test the API's functional elements - but should become more consistent after the core functional testing is complete and the API is ready to scale. 3. Security Testing Now your API works, and it works at scale... for far too many, they see this as the green light to unleash their API to the masses, but there is one more aspect of your API that needs to be addressed: security testing. We have already discussed why API security testing is arguably the most critical phase of the testing process. There is no shortage of companies that can attest to why this is true. API security has become such a widespread concern that OWASP created a dedicated annual Top 10 API Security Threats list to help developers combat the everchanging landscape of cyberattacks. API security testing falls into two categories: manual and automated testing. Manual security testing is still the industry norm, despite the severe limitations that prevent it from being a complete, one-size-fits-all solution to application security such as: Challenges testing all permutations of each API endpoint Dependency on the skill level of the developer or penetration tester running the test Difficulty in implementing manual tests at scale On the other hand, automated testing provides a comprehensive toolset to continuously check your API for vulnerabilities while eliminating human error. The main problem with automated API security testing is that it hasn't been widely available until recently. Some of the most common types of API security testing include: Penetration testing uncovers loopholes that hackers can exploit to compromise the system's integrity, especially for known vulnerabilities using widely accepted industry guidelines set out by OWASP. Vulnerability scans that analyze security loopholes and business logic flaws that are often overlooked, despite being more susceptible to security vulnerabilities and the main target for hackers nowadays. When to start API security testing: With the ability to automate API security testing, it should be implemented as early as possible to ensure that your API is safe throughout every stage of the build. After all, attacks are possible before an API is even deployed to the public - so keeping your data secure from day one should be a top priority. Sign up for a free vulnerability scan today to comprehensively test your entire API for any vulnerabilities and receive a detailed report to help you protect yourself from cyberattacks. Step 2: Select the Right Tool for the Job Selecting the right tools can be a challenge, with so many new platforms entering the market every year based on what types of testing you are focused on running. Whether you prefer the newest, most expensive tools or the most widely adopted industry-standard - it's essential to do your due diligence to find the tool that is the best fit for your needs. Here are some of our favorite tools for various types of API testing. Zap Zap is the most widely used free web app scanner tool that provides a comprehensive suite of tools that allow you to run tests on your API throughout every phase of your dev process. But what sets Zap apart is the fact that the platform is completely free and actively maintained by a dedicated team of volunteers around the globe. Postman Similar to Zap, Postman also included a full suite of tools that allow you to run various tests on your API. Mostly used for REST, Postman is known for an incredibly user-friendly interface that enables developers to build and execute tests quickly. Though Postman does have a free version, you will have to purchase their paid plan to gain access to all of the features their platform has to offer. BurpSuite Community Edition (CE) BurpSuite Community Edition (CE) is one of the most popular penetration testing and vulnerability scanning tool that helps developer teams improve API security. BurpSuite allows its users to set up a series of automated recurring security checks for continuous testing while providing expert-designed manual and semi-automated tools to tackle more complex issues. SoapUI SoapUI is an open-source API testing tool developers can use to analyze and debug their APIs for almost every type of API, including REST, SOAP, GraphQL, and more. SOAP UI leans in on simplicity, highlighting the ability for developers to perform exploratory tests without any prior preparation efficiently. APIsec APIsec brings automation to your API security testing process, leveraging the power of AI and the expertise of seasoned cybersecurity experts to help companies seamlessly scale their APIs without compromising security. APIsec provides detailed coverage reports that allow teams to resolve potential vulnerabilities quickly while also minimizing downtime. As opposed to manual testing tools, APIsec is a fully automated platform that leverages the power of AI and the expertise of seasoned cybersecurity experts to help companies seamlessly scale their APIs without compromising security. Bugcrowd Bugcrowd is a cyber security platform and marketplace, providing an environment where professional hackers can try to find bugs and exploits in your company's IT systems, including APIs. With the help of Bugcrowd, you can have multiple security experts working on the same layer of vulnerabilities, providing you with additional insights. Their key differentiator is that you can pay some of the world’s best hackers to go in and find vulnerabilities in your API that most API testing tools can’t identify. Step 3: Execute the API Test Once you have your testing environment laid out and the right tool for the job ready to go - now comes the time to execute your API testing process. The phases of the API testing process take place in three stages - highlighting potential functional, performance, and security issues that could arise within each phase of the API development. Jworks does a great job diving into the specific details of each phase, but from a macro perspective, your process should break down like this: Phase 1: Unit Testing The first step is to perform thorough unit testing of the functional, performance, or security of specific features of an API. Unit tests entail analyzing isolated blocks of code or functions and testing their performance without any dependencies on other units or features within your app. Since you have complete control over how your API behaves during this particular testing phase, it's easy to isolate and identify bugs as they arise. Phase 2: Mock Testing Once you've finished your unit tests - resolving any bugs that are identified in isolation, it's time to transition into testing each element against a mock endpoint. This phase is where you can understand how your app would behave if it were sending requests and receiving responses from external systems, simulating the functionality of real-world applications that would stress the various integrations and relationships between individual elements of your API. Since this step simulates how the app will communicate with other system components, there are plenty of opportunities to uncover how the app will respond in different conditions. Phase 3: Testing Full Environment The final stage of the API testing process is to test the entire system comprehensively. Testing the full environment means that you'll be using an actual endpoint with all of the elements required for processing requests, which may include third-party APIs. Automated tools are ideal for this phase since the complexity of an uncontrolled environment at scale has exponentially more potential vulnerabilities and functional variations than the small testing groups that can be manually tested and analyzed in Phase 2. Conclusion And there you have it! With everything from the smallest detail to the most complex user behaviors tested against functional, performance, and security benchmarks - you will have a fully operational and safe API that is ready to scale. If you are looking for an effective tool to test your API's security, APIsec offers an automated API security testing solution that your team can utilize at every stage of the development process. If you want to schedule a free vulnerability scan or talk to our team to get a consultation, get in touch with us today to keep your API safe.

With 83 percent of organizations finding API integration critical to their business strategy, APIs are one of the most integral parts of virtually any web application today, enabling organizations to scale more quickly than ever before. But this comes with a price. 91 percent of developers say APIs are their company's biggest security risk - in fact, the latest IMB report attributes two-thirds of cloud breaches to API flaws. If not properly secured, hackers can exploit them to gain sensitive data and wreak havoc on your organization. To prevent this from ever happening to you, we're going to explore ten essential practices for securing your API in this article. What Is API Security? API security is a subset of cyber security that identifies and addresses API cyber threats and vulnerabilities. It uses various techniques and best practices to protect sensitive information from being exploited by users, including those inside and outside your organization. Since APIs operate with sensitive data, they are often the subject of many types of cyberattacks. Failing to secure or maintain your API correctly could lead to many serious repercussions, including but not limited to: Loss of customer data Unauthorized access to sensitive information Fraudulent transactions There has been a dramatic shift in the API landscape of how organizations view APIs. As Shawn Smiley, CTO at Achieve Internet, pointed out, initially, APIs were only used by development teams to facilitate their internal processes, so there wasn’t much consideration as to the ramifications of those APIs getting exposed. As of 2021, billions of API records have been stolen as a result of API vulnerabilities and logic flaws, including major corporations such as Venmo, Facebook, and the USPS. As the internet has grown and organizations have found new ways to leverage their APIs, things have become siloed, providing more opportunities for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities. Now, organizations are becoming more proactive, trying to find ways to thwart attacks before they happen. For that reason, following API security best practices is vital for protecting your company, clients, and bottom line. 10 API Security Guidelines and Best Practices On average, API data breaches cost companies $3.81 million, excluding what IBM considers "mega breaches," which cost corporations north of $50 million on average. Combined with the fact that almost 25 percent of Americans won't do any business with a data-breached organization, you need to understand basic API security measures to avoid becoming a statistic. Below are ten essential API security best practices that every modern developer should know to keep their data safe. 1. Authentication & Authorization Protocols API security begins with authentication and authorization protocols. They help prevent API users from gaining access to data that doesn't belong to them or information they aren't allowed to see - the groups of vulnerabilities that belong to the top of the OWASP API Security Top 10 list. Recommended: What is the OWASP API Security Top 10 List? This is especially important when dealing with sensitive financial, healthcare, and government records since without proper API authentication and authorization protocols in place, hackers can exploit that data for personal gain. Some of the examples of authentication and authorization protocols include: Basic Auth OAuth2 OpenID SAML TLS JWT 2. Encryption for Data in Transit, at Rest, and During Storage Although authentication and authorization are arguably the most crucial elements of API security, data encryption is just as important. Once data enters the API, using encryption prevents other users from accessing it without authorization. This means creating data encryption regardless of its state - whether it's stored, being transferred across a network or the internet, or sitting at rest. Data at rest is any API data saved on a computer. You can protect it with AES 256-bit encryption using the industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm, called Rijndael cipher. You can similarly secure stored data while encrypting transfer data with SSL/TLS using 2048-bit encryption. Properly encrypted data will protect against security breaches related to sensitive data, among other things. 3. Data Integrity Checks Regular data integrity checks ensure that sensitive data has not changed before, after, or during transit. Hashing is one of the most common methods of performing such checks. Once you hash the data, you can compare the hashed value with that of the original. Properly executed data integrity checks will ensure that the information received matches the information sent by a server or stored on a hard drive. Integrity checks help developers protect their resources by ensuring API requests are processed securely and validated against a set of standardized policies. 4. Logging Of API Activity For Analysis One of the best API security practices includes logging auditable events like failed logins or large transactions for analysis purposes. Insufficient logging ranks 10th in the OWASP list, meaning it's a significant security risk that can result in your systems failing to trigger any alarms whenever an active attack happens. Additionally, it would be challenging to prove that a hacker committed a crime or troubleshoot any bugs or vulnerabilities post-launch without any logs. Adequately implemented security logs allow you to keep a close watch over users and any suspicious activity. Once you have narrowed down a suspicious source, you can construct some thresholds, rules, or parameters to protect data further. 5. Regular Code Reviews Code reviews are a tried-and-tested way to increase software quality. That's why regular code reviews will help you identify any API vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. You can host regular code reviews in several ways. For instance, you may want to schedule team meetings at least once per month to go over any changes and ensure your API team reviews any relevant code changes, especially when it comes to open-source tools. A combination of manual and automated code reviews will give you an edge over cybercriminals. To have all of the bases covered, either security professionals or penetration testing tools should regularly analyze public APIs to identify vulnerabilities before hackers can take advantage of them. 6. Two-Factor Authentications Websites, API services, and cloud apps often become targets of successful cyberattacks because of poorly implemented basic authentication. Two-factor authentication, sometimes called multi-factor authentication, takes the weakness out of single-source sign-on by requiring two steps to access user data. Entering the correct username and password combination will require the user to submit a second authentication factor (be it a code sent to their email address or phone), providing a secondary layer of protection. Three basic auth types you can use for your API are as follows: unique knowledge (a PIN) unique items (a mobile phone) unique biometrics (a fingerprint) Implementing two-factor authentications stops hackers dead in their tracks. So it's no surprise that 2FA is considered a must for essential API security. 7. Using API Gateways Gateways help API providers protect their resources by ensuring all requests are processed securely and validated against a set of standardized policies. With API gateway security in place, you won't have to worry about securing your API endpoint directly. Instead, they provide the same layer of protection as firewalls do for servers and networks: they sit between the client and your protected backend services. Your API gateway will vet any incoming requests from authorized users and direct them through a management system for further review. The gateway's primary functions depend on the goals of implementation. Most gateways focus on the following security mechanisms: Implementing safety policies Suspicious activity alerts Additional security protocols 8. Implementing Proper API Testing Procedures Testing software checks all the boxes in terms of API quality and security issues: it identifies bugs or malfunctions before they reach your user base while also strengthening the source code. A variety of methods exists to comprehensively test your API, including (but not limited to): Load testing Websocket testing Penetration testing Fuzz testing Validation testing UI testing Runtime and error detection Recommended: A Complete List of API Terms You Should Know Each of these manual or automated tests can uncover new security issues and vulnerabilities that expose your API to hackers. When developers have access to well-polished API documentation, they can run their own tests to ensure their API works as expected. Manual testing is a good option if you build an API with public access or achieve widespread adoption among developers. However, if only internal business units have access to your API, automated testing is the best way to keep costs within budgetary constraints. To combat the rise of API breaches, APIsec offers a free penetration test that entails a complete assessment of your API. Sign up today to uncover the hidden vulnerabilities hackers can use to steal your data. 9. Throttling Requests With API Quotas If you want to prevent your API infrastructure from being overloaded by too many requests at once - including DDoS and brute force attacks, it's best to cap API requests with some type of rate limits. Rate limits are an essential part of API security, protecting vital software resources. They work by restricting the number of API requests or the amount of traffic an API can process over a given period of time. If an application exceeds the rate limit, the system will block incoming traffic from a given user or IP address and generate an error code. Throttling API limits is one of the best ways to prevent API abuse. This way, you won't have external users overwhelming your API with too many requests per second (RPS), putting a strain on backend resources and potentially slowing system performance while pushing out legitimate traffic. 10. Addressing Excessive Data Exposure The final API security practice to keep in mind is limiting unnecessary information spread. Regardless of the purpose of your API, it's essential to limit the amount of data revealed to the end-user whenever an API request is executed. When it comes to API data management, the golden rule goes as follows: Don't let users send more information than they need - because that creates a security vulnerability, putting your API at risk. If an API client sends too much unnecessary information in their request, set up an API endpoint that returns what's necessary and leaves out the rest. 11. Single Source of Truth Organizations need to incorporate ways of publishing API documentation into a central portal as part of their CI/CD processes. This way, there is a single source of truth of what APIs are available, where they’re located, and who is responsible for them. Commonly, this includes setting up a governance layer at an API layer and abstracting your API infrastructure from your back-end and front-end systems so that it acts as a glue between your clients and your target back-end systems. That way, you can do centralized governance at an API infrastructure or API platform layer. This enables you to onboard your developers as well as internal and external partners and provides them with a standardized approach for onboarding and API documentation - all while version management and revision control empower you to handle things as APIs change regularly. 12. Prioritize API Governance & Risk Assessment For many organizations, governance only becomes a concern after APIs are published. This approach doesn’t work because potential customers will go elsewhere to if there's inadequate documentation. Governance needs to be built in from the beginning and enforced into the development pipeline. Taking a bottom-up approach to governance can create subjectivity and avoid limitations due to a sub-committee of only a few people who don’t understand every aspect of the APIs. Many organizations without this governance have published and unpublished APIs, creating vulnerabilities. These APIs need to be audited to document each API’s type of risks and how to mitigate these risks. 13. IP Whitelisting The use of IP whitelisting as a security measure provides a good base for API security but should be complemented with additional security measures. Smaller organizations with minimal APIs may consider this an option, but it should still include a zero-trust model. They should be combining IP whitelisting with other things such as layered security and geofencing to avoid over-relying on one form of protection. 14. Leverage DevOps APIs have fundamentally changed how often code is pushed to production. Classic security testing doesn’t necessarily operate at the speed of DevOps. Therefore, tools and technologies that automate the process and are baked into the development cycle help organizations stop relying on reactive methods to circumvent attacks. Software configuration analysis tests need to be included in the process to avoid security misconfigurations. With the help of API management solutions, organizations can achieve granular control to monitor and mitigate risks continuously. Protect What Matters Most With Better API Security As more and more applications enter the marketplace, API security matters more than ever before. No matter how impervious you feel, the fact is that millions of cyberattacks have been obtaining sensitive data throughout 2021 - with no signs of the alarming trend slowing down anytime soon. API consumers depend on providers to keep their personal data secure. When a data breach happens, the risks could be high: lost revenue public embarrassment fines from regulatory agencies like FERC or PCI DSS (in the case of financial institutions) a permanently damaged reputation from users who will likely take their business elsewhere. But it doesn't have to be this way. Since its inception in 2018, APIsec has been offering automated, continuous, and comprehensive API management solutions that constantly test your APIs for any vulnerabilities while costing a fraction of what you'd need to pay for manual penetration testing. As a fully automated program, APIsec can be configured within your continuous integration pipeline to stop malicious users before they can exploit any vulnerabilities. Are you interested to see our API security programs in action? Get in touch with our team today to schedule a free consultation.

API security breaches are increasing rapidly, with the number of cyberattacks surging 348% from December 2020 to June 2021 alone. And if you are building, or using an API to power your business, implementing strong API security measures is vital to ensure your long-term success since even a single data breach can permanently ruin your brand image and lead to loss of customer trust. The problem becomes even more complex if your business uses dozens of APIs together - as most enterprise businesses do. MuleSoft is one of the largest API management platforms in the world - helping organizations leverage the power of APIs - at scale connecting data, devices, and applications in one place. But just because you are managing everything in one place doesn't mean you don't have to worry about security. This article will break down the MuleSoft API security principles ( according to them) and some additional ways to protect your user base beyond the basics they commonly cover. What is Mule API Security, and How Does MuleSoft Handle API Security? With so many developers and businesses relying on MuleSoft to keep their operations running, the ability to regularly test API security directly on their platform has been a focus from the outset. Mule API security, one of many aspects of the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, consists of a suite of testing measures designed to protect an API from most of the common vulnerabilities that cybercriminals exploit to compromise their data. However, while MuleSoft is an incredibly powerful platform for easily managing and running APIs all in one place, their capabilities around Mule API Security sometimes fall short in critical areas compared to other tools dedicated solely to API security. Without understanding some of the platform's shortcomings, many developers often overlook additional security concerns, simply trusting the security of their APIs based on the trusted MuleSoft brand. Anypoint Security provides basic API protection and helps teams harden their defense by enabling developers to implement security in layers, supporting API security policies including: Client ID enforcement SLA-based Rate Limiting SLA-based Throttling Mule OAuth 2.0 access token enforcement External access token enforcement LDAP Authentication policy Cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) HTTP Basic authentication IP blacklist and whitelist JSON and XML threat Protection Spike Control Header Injection and Header removal Tokenization and De-Tokenization JSON Web Token (JWT) validation policy MuleSoft also allows you to set up the Edge gateway to control traffic in and out of your API with security features like Denial of service (DoS), IP whitelists, HTTP limits, and Web Application Firewalls. API gateways are great for managing and running APIs but do not address security vulnerabilities that may exist within the APIs, such as business logic flaws. When users can manipulate or circumvent API process flows using legitimate functionalities of an API, hackers can steal sensitive data or reach other malicious goals by exploiting the vulnerabilities exposed by business logic flaws that are incredibly difficult to detect using conventional testing tools. What Are The Main Security Principles (According to MuleSoft) MuleSoft understands that APIs are the most significant security risk for companies in the digital age, as API breaches led organizations to lose more than $20 billion in 2021 alone due to cyberattacks - not to mention the reputational and opportunity losses that come along with a massive, public data breach. To help development teams protect their APIs, MuleSoft created a helpful guide that covers the main three principles of API security that they focus on with their platform: Identity and access management Content integrity and confidentiality API reliability and availability Let's briefly review what these are in more detail. 1. Identity and Access Management (IAM) Identity and access management are security measures implemented to recognize API users and only show them the data they want them to see. The two pillars of identity and access management are authentication and authorization - with clusters of vulnerabilities related to them consistently landing on the top of the OWASP API Security Top 10 list from year to year. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of an API consumer. There are several ways you can go about authenticating a user, ranging from simple username and password logins to more secure methods like multi-factor authentication (MFA) or token-based credentials. Once correctly identified, the authorization process acknowledges the unique user's rights and privileges to regulate the data that the user can access while using the API. API authorization methods, including role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), and delegated access control with OAuth 2.0, prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to sensitive data or functionalities outside their user permissions. 2. Content Integrity and Confidentiality The second core principle of API security that MuleSoft focuses on is the integrity, safety, and confidentiality of all incoming API traffic, protecting your API calls and responses from being hijacked by hackers. The primary elements of message security are: Message integrity ensures that any third party does not hijack a message at any point. Message safety checks each message for any malicious content in the request, like SQL injections or JSON documents with nested objects and arrays that could compromise your API security. Message confidentiality validates that the message was not seen by anyone other than the user interacting with the API, protecting sensitive data from exposure to third parties. Often digital signatures are implemented to record the authenticity of a transaction by comparing a set of secret codes created by an app and API, applied to the same algorithm to ensure the safe delivery of a message. Also, developers can use public-key cryptography to create a virtually unbreakable code that end-users can only decode with a corresponding key. 3. API Reliability and Availability API reliability and availability measures focus on your capacity to maintain performance when under stress from heavy usage and especially when under attack. While API performance primarily lies in the realm of functional and performance management, it's critical to ensure that if the API is stressed, it can: Still respond to calls. Finish receiving the message of any calls being executed without losing data or leaving it vulnerable to attacks from cyberattackers. How To Add An Extra Layer of Protection to MuleSoft APIs: 3 Best Practice Tips Adept developers can protect their APIs from many attacks, focusing on the main principles laid out by MuleSoft, but with cyber attacks constantly evolving with more complex strategies, dev teams need to go a step further. Here are some of the ways you can better ensure a safe, secure API when hosted through MuleSoft: 1. Focus on Identifying Business Logic Flaws Business logic is the set of rules written by developers that define the limitations of how an API operates. Unfortunately, since the effectiveness of these rules is only as good as the developer that writes them, business logic is a primary target for cybercriminals hoping to exploit human error. As we mentioned before, business logic flaws won't be flagged under any functional or performance test since there is nothing incorrect in the build - the feature is functioning exactly how it is intended. Instead, attackers manipulate legitimate functionality to achieve malicious goals by using an API that the developers didn't anticipate. To find any potential business logic flaws lurking in your API, developers need to expect the unexpected. Get your creative juices flowing and test out how every feature works when your API consumers fail to follow the intended process flow, refuse to supply mandatory data input, or use your functionality in the ways you don’t want or expect them to. As a starting point, attempt to access the API through tools like BURP Proxy to tamper with data - test out every feature in your application in every way you can think of. With such a high number of variables, automated API security tools that leverage the power of AI to dissect every endpoint, method, and input to find hidden vulnerabilities are becoming an essential weapon in the API security arsenal. 2. Use a "Shift-left" Testing Framework Shift-left testing is a concept that promotes continuous testing as early as possible in the software development cycle. By allowing teams to take more time during each phase of the development process, a shift-left framework enables developers to identify bugs and vulnerabilities that could result in serious issues if left unresolved. With the shift-left framework in mind, proper API security testing should begin from day 1, with consistent attention on the security of all of the core aspects required to build and scale an API. This process will likely add time into each phase of the build process, but security is not something that businesses should rush, and with the right strategy - it will save time and money in the long run. 3. Implement a Zero-trust Security Model Into Your API Design The zero-trust approach to API security means that developers cannot trust any API traffic, whether originating from outside or inside the network. One of the major mistakes developers make is a failure to secure private or internal APIs based on the assumption that a lack of documentation or since they can't be found on a public network - they aren't exposed. But with the complexity of API connections increasing alongside the sophistication of bad actors, it is always better to lean on secure design frameworks like a central authentication service that requires every access point to include a secure identification and authorization process. Conclusion MuleSoft boasts an impressive suite of tools that make a developer's life much easier, but security is still a factor that dev teams must give the full attention of any dev team hoping to launch an API with robust security measures in place. Tackling the core vulnerabilities is a great start, but eliminating the human error associated with flows in logic, accessibility, and trust will ensure that your data is protected from bad actors constantly seeking out new ways to exploit hidden vulnerabilities. Automate Your API Testing with APIsec If you want to add more robust testing solutions to your MuleSoft managed APIs, our AI-based testing can comprehensively and continuously analyze every line of your code to ensure that no cybersecurity issues slip through the cracks. Think there might be a mutual fit? We'd love to chat. So book a call with our team to get a free vulnerability scan today - and take your API security to the next level.

As the risk to the API layer of software applications available over the internet increases, the cost of a weak API security strategy has skyrocketed. According to Gartner, now is when application leaders take a step forward and start designing and executing effective API security strategies to protect their APIs rather than relying on manual protection procedures. Most of the companies still deploy manual penetration testing strategies to assess their APIs’ security. These legacy practices are too slow and carried out too infrequently. This culture does not fit well with the modern agile and DevOps practices, where the new code is written and pushed into production cycles regularly. The need for automated and effective security strategies becomes an inescapable part of such an ecosystem. With all the agile culture in place, it becomes increasingly necessary to deploy automated procedures that fundamentally align with the DevSecOps strategies. Such strategies create an automated ecosystem that is beneficial for the security of digital space. This article will explain the true cost of API vulnerabilities and explain how automation is the only way to align API security with agile development and DevOps. Most Vulnerabilities Are Found Far Too Late (If at All) According to Capital One’s public report, the company experienced a data breach in 2019, despite the fact that they had invested heavily in the company’s IT infrastructure. They reportedly mention that the hackers gained unauthorized access to their system and stole certain types of personal information from Capital One’s credit card customers. Similarly, Venmo also experienced a serious API breach that resulted in the mass data scraping of more than 200 million transactions. All these terrible occurrences of API breach are major setbacks and raise fundamental concerns regarding API security in production. It may seem that Capital One and Venmo, being bigger players in the market, already overcame the consequences of their respective API breach cases, However, one thing is certain, they might have recovered from the monetary losses,, but the damage done to their reputations might never be repaired. Due to the lack of automation in API security, vulnerabilities often hide in the development stage. When the code is shipped before all of the real-time and production scenarios are tested, the weaker security parameters are exposed to risk in production. Suppose you wait for production to find vulnerabilities in your APIs. In that case, you risk losing data you won’t be able to recover, lose brand reputation, face government fines, and lose your clients and customers’ trust. When the APIs are shipped to production, there is no way to predict these issues. You are only left with firewalls to help you protect your services over the network. Apart from that, direct reporting from latency issues, site speed impacts, and complaints are a few ways to assess the concerns in production. This kind of approach comes under a defensive banner, where you only react to the reported issues but not proactively strategize to minimize their occurrence. Such practices are highly unpredictable, time-consuming, and frustrating for the concerned teams, in general. The ROI of Finding Security Flaws in the Development Stage Considering the kinds of sensitive and delicate security vulnerabilities that occur on production servers, predicting and protecting from them is now an inevitable part of a secure digital experience. Instead of finding issues at runtime and later scratching your head while resolving them under pressure, it just simply makes more sense to deal with such concerns before they happen. Prevention is always better than cure, and in fact, it can also help you save time and money. Catching vulnerabilities in the development environment, precisely during the DevOps process, is the key to a solid API security and protection strategy. Apart from its time-saving aspect, it also addresses multiple other related issues that directly impact an enterprise’s processes, culture, and goals. An effective API security strategy ultimately helps lower the enterprise costs, saves the brand reputation from spoiling, protects your customers’ sensitive and confidential data, and, most importantly, heightens customers’ trust in your brand. This enhanced brand reputation and increased customer trust give rise to consumer loyalty and also passively serves as the potential marketing and sales strategy for your brand and enterprise, in general. Besides the potential benefits of having an effective API security strategy, it naturally makes more sense to devise one. The technology leaders need to understand that it is indeed the next big revolution in the domain of API security as it truly involves you in maintaining a proactive strategy and actually working towards preventing the vulnerabilities from happening. With such strategies, you are actually taking proactive steps to prevent the bad news from coming at all, rather than waiting for a data breach to act. However, catching security flaws in the development stage is not an easy process. Companies achieve some sort of API scrutiny by following strategies like manual penetration testing. The limiting part about manual penetration testing is that it is often done sporadically, which is obviously not scalable. Manual penetration testing is bound to miss threats because it cannot cover each and every aspect of large-scale enterprise APIs. Especially when developers continuously write new code, it does not automatically evaluate and integrate with the modules that guarantee automated API security testing. This way, it does not sync with the DevOps culture at all. It’s Time for DevSecOps To Shift Left Undoubtedly, there are a lot of risks involved in catching API security vulnerabilities in production. Luckily, there’s no need to do that if you catch them during the development phase by implementing sound DevSecOps processes. But it is also true that you cannot have a strong DevSecOps strategy without automation. Automation is the key to minimize the cost of API security vulnerabilities. Otherwise, there always will be a risk of flaws and concerns in the digital space. By shying away from implementing necessary DevSecOps strategies, you are potentially inviting cyberattackers to intervene and take advantage of your negligence. The automation in API security allows the focus of DevSecOps to shift left into the development phase. Now is the right time to shift our attention from manual penetration testing to automated penetration testing in a world where technology scales rapidly. Automated penetration testing has significant advantages that allow you to save your time, effort, and costs. It can also protect your brand reputation, and enhance your security. Automated penetration not only finds API security vulnerabilities and helps prevent logic flaws, which is essentially the most common issue that we see across enterprise API layers and probably the biggest reason behind various API security breaches. APIsec is a continuous, automated, and comprehensive API security testing company that combines various steps from the design, test, and production phases in one place. Before shipping the code to production, APIsec identifies and reports data logic vulnerabilities in completely continuous and automated ways with zero human involvement. APIsec helps you focus entirely on your development cycles and tests your APIs without requiring any additional code or traffic access. APIsec is an ideal combination of trust and reliability, where you get to experience the real power and speed of DevOps and automation as a culture, eventually saving you time and money. We have a descriptive and extensive guide that discusses the key principles involved in protecting and securing your APIs. For further information, feel free to download and benefit from our API Security Best Practices.

Just a few short years after Forbes declared the Year of the API Economy, it seems we’re there. We reside in a customer-focused world where the customer experiences in buying journeys are paramount. Also, members of the C-suite have recognized that APIs are more than technology but now form part of the company’s business models and digital strategies. Monetizing API offerings is becoming more and more common as a digital strategy for businesses, and the potential ROI is attractive. As pointed out in the Harvard Business Review a few years ago, Salesforce earns half of its revenue through its API offerings, and Expedia generates roughly 90% of its revenue from its API offerings. API offerings promote innovation around a company’s ecosystem, both internally and with partners and users. They help developers avoid reinventing the same wheel over and over, providing well-documented and standard interfaces to build on top of. With a lower barrier of entry to new services, APIs also allow the creation of more personalized experiences for individual users. But the past couple of years have been trying for DevOps and infrastructure teams responsible for the security of their organization’s critical business applications. In this article, we’ll outline the risks that APIs can pose to an organization, explain why they’re so challenging to address, and highlight how automated security testing can keep APIs and other IT infrastructure safe. Why Hackers Are Targeting APIs Mobile and web apps are able to communicate with each other using APIs, and technology is available to protect and scan the code of these applications for vulnerabilities. While that is sufficient for internal APIs, many of today’s APIs are exposed as public APIs. Such APIs are externally visible and can be consumed by customers and partners. This has enabled organizations to transform their legacy applications into a microservice-based structure which provides several benefits. However, it has also made these external APIs a ripe target for hackers because of: Direct Access: Hackers are able to bypass security controls and gain access to sensitive data. Over-permissions: Too many users have access to these APIs, providing additional options for hackers to access them. Logic Flaws: APIs have unintended use cases or capabilities inserted into them that can provide hackers access. Website page read requests and a few endpoints to process forms data submissions like newsletter signups, offering both users and attackers a relatively small feature or attack surface. In contrast, REST APIs usually expose substantially more of the application’s internal API to users. Hackers see this flexibility as a programmatic access point directly into backend data and functionality. Risks of APIs APIs offer hackers direct access to backend data and systems. These undersecured vulnerabilities can be difficult to find, but hackers can take advantage of exposed APIs in a number of ways, including Broken Object Level Authorization, Broken Authentication, Excessive Data Exposure, Lack of Resources & Rate Limiting, and Broken Level Function Assignment. Excessive Data Exposure APIs are implemented eventually as function calls and will return whatever functionality or data they were written to provide. REST APIs generally aren’t flexible in the data fields that they return for an item and often over-deliver. A common pattern in frontend UI applications is to ignore the unneeded data returned in the API response’s raw information and to rely on the UI to format, filter, and present data to users. As OWASP notes, this often leads to “developers tend[ing] to expose all object properties without considering their individual sensitivity, relying on clients to perform the data filtering before displaying it to the user”. For an attacker, the API response may be full of sensitive and valuable information. User metadata sufficient to geolocate that user’s present physical location has been a past issue, showing the severity of risk of inadvertently exposing excessive data. Broken Authorization and Authentication Granular authorization for elements in an API application is a tough task for developers. Administrators want the flexibility to give access to functionality and data according to their own business rules and to do so without complexity. Unfortunately, that’s difficult to provide, and application code can be quite vulnerable to privilege escalation attacks, allowing an attacker to impersonate another user’s identity. Zero-day vulnerabilities are an exploit that’s been discovered, either by security tooling, security researchers, or hackers. Vulnerabilities due to business logic errors in your company’s applications are also zero-day vulnerabilities but are unlikely to be discovered (and reported) by security researchers. Unfortunately, the burden falls on companies to find any vulnerabilities that are present in their API applications. For example, Corey Ball, a Cybersecurity Consulting Manager and author of the forthcoming book Hacking APIs believes that either you will find them or an attacker will, and if you don’t test it, someone will do it for you. Compliance Because they’re often available publicly, APIs are usually well documented or easy to reverse engineer. Given that they are often the easiest attack vector for accessing sensitive customer and internal data, APIs are attractive targets for bad actors. In response to numerous high-profile breaches of cloud-based API offerings and theft of user data, a number of governmental and industry organizations have established standards and requirements for cloud security practices: FedRAMP, GDPR, HIPAA, HHS Interoperability, and others. These rules usually define the types of data that should be safeguarded, the accepted data exchange processes, and reporting requirements. API security is a critical layer in compliance standards, focused on protecting sensitive user data. Learn More: What is OWASP API Security Top 10: A Deep Dive Challenges of Securing APIs Business Logic Errors are Hard to Discover and Test Standard first lines of defense for cloud deployments employ time-tested strategies that have proven their usefulness in on-premise deployments. Continuous integration pipelines are usually bolstered with static analysis and code quality tools that focus on classic security vulnerabilities. While the output from these approaches doesn’t in itself ensure a secure deployment, they can indicate problems for further investigation like the use of insecure language methods, the inclusion of vulnerable code libraries, and code that isn’t covered by unit or functional tests. These SAST and DAST tools do not directly evaluate an application’s business logic for errors. Live APIs are usually secured with inline, traffic-based solutions. Web Application Firewalls (WAF) and API-aware traffic inspectors can fingerprint incoming traffic, identifying and blocking or reporting suspicious traffic as it enters the network in real-time. Traffic-based approaches can be heavy-handed, blocking entire networks and even continents from accessing resources. They are often ineffective against zero-day exploits where there’s no base of knowledge to identify malicious traffic. Also, they do little to protect against business logic errors that allow access to resources that should be forbidden to a user. To circumvent these attacks, organizations need to incorporate completing testing coverage that involves the entire API and not just a few endpoints. This includes coverage for every endpoint, attack vector, method, and variable. Many organizations also conduct manual penetration testing. The tester will create a suite of tests based on their experience and knowledge of a company’s API footprint. Some tests scenarios are widely applicable, like simulated distributed denial-of-service attacks, and others are tailored for specific endpoints. Pen tests are often scheduled on a periodic basis and don’t generally align with continuous deployments. They also rely heavily on the experience of the person designing the test suite. Unfortunately, this periodic testing needs to be done on a continuous basis. Organizations need continued visibility of their APIs so that they know the current state of APIs at all times and can take preventative and corrective measures as required before waiting until it’s too late. APIs are Constantly Changing In addition to being expansive and complex, cloud-deployed workloads change fast. The introduction of solid continuous deployment pipelines that allow single-button rollbacks in case of problems encourages rapid rollout of new features: a great force multiplier for the business but challenging for operations and security because APIs often get updated weekly or even daily. In contrast with the rapid evolution of an API offering, using manual pen testing to discover business logic errors often happens much less frequently. Given the expense and scope of work, pen tests are often scheduled to occur monthly, quarterly, or even semi-annually. Since production can’t wait for the next manual pen test to complete and maintain their innovation velocity, the code ends up going live without assurance that the last sprint didn’t add any vulnerabilities. APIs are Often Large and Complex, Complicating Manual Pen Testing Manual pen-testing involves creating a suite of test scenarios based on the security professional’s knowledge of the API and potential vulnerabilities. The approach generally doesn’t have complete test coverage as a goal, as even modest API offerings can quickly run into thousands of unique test scenarios. As an example, an API with fifty endpoints and the standard HTTP methods, with test scenarios for ten attack vectors on each endpoint and standard method, requires some 2,000 unique tests. APIs often have many more endpoints, support multiple methods, and be attacked in many ways. And attackers only need to be right once: they can look for the one missed corner that allows them to manipulate the API and gain unauthorized access. A manual pen-tester is constrained in time and creativity to create robust testing suites for a particular API offering. Organizations with many APIs have to prioritize which ones are pen-tested on a schedule and which are left alone. Automated API Security Testing with APIsec API offerings are increasingly powerful, versatile, and widely used in all industries, including financial services, healthcare, retail, and professional services like legal firms. At the same time, cybercriminals are continually working on new tactics to breach and compromise data at firms of all sizes. While traditional security techniques like code analysis, application firewalling, and manual penetration testing are valuable, they struggle to address the most common API attack vector: the business logic that powers APIs. APIsec is an automated security scanning and compliance reporting service that provides comprehensive security testing of your organization’s API offerings. This approach is 100% automated, configured as part of your continuous integration pipeline, and allows critical API vulnerabilities to be addressed before a company’s product reaches production. APIsec delivers continuous API security, with complete test coverage, that operates at CI/CD speed. If you want to learn more about APIsec’s API security service, read more here: How does APIsec secure my APIs-An Explainer.