Why Is API Security Important?

API security is important because it prevents any malicious or fraudulent activities when the APIs are connected to the server. As API is the main key in programming web-based interactions, it becomes dangerous to leave the API vulnerable to data breaches. The API's advanced security is to protect the integrity of the API. When business users use APIs to connect to servers to transfer data, they expose the data to hackers. Failing to manage security can lead to major business loss, compliance issues, a surge in infrastructure bills, and reputation loss. So, it is very crucial to ensure that the end-to-end api management is taken care of.

How Are API Endpoints Secured?

There are easy ways to ensure that endpoint security management is handled with care. Here are some significant ways of securing the API endpoints are:

• Prioritizing the safety and security of the business

• Authorizing the users who use the API key

• Inculcating the practice of using HTTP

• Identifying the inventory of all APIs and

• Using a one-time password with strong encryption

• Making use of rate-limiting to block DoS attacks and open access to hackers

• Encrypting the traffic that uses TLS (Transport Layer Security) with sensitive data

• Limiting unnecessary traffic

• Deleting information that is restricted to certain users

• Considering the client requests by blocking any unnecessary geographies

• Using XDR systems for robust protection of APIs

Best Practices For Securing API Endpoints

Although it can be challenging to find the best way and the right application to ensure that your API endpoint is secured, here are a few best practices you should follow.

Prioritize Security

When you ignore securing the API endpoint, you put the entire business at risk due to the chances of data breaches. Whether it is a daily lifestyle chore or for business requirements, it is better to rely on experts to make sure the API is well-secured.

Authenticate the Users

Whenever an opposite party communicates, it is important to instill authentication in the process to ensure that the identity of who is communicating is verified and exactly who they claim to be. The best way to authenticate the users is by using the basic authentication, HTTP. It requires the user to provide their user ID and password.

An API key is another way to authenticate, where the user would need a unique identifier for each API and the known api gateway.

Encrypt the Traffic Using TLS

There should be nothing left in the air for internal or external communications. It is essential to make everything crisp and clear by converting the information into code. This prevents hackers from decoding sensitive data and information. All information that is communicated should be coded and passed through the TLS (one-way TLS or two-way TLS). Mostly, many business organizations do not plan on encrypting their TLS because they might have non-sensitive data. However, organizations that exchange highly sensitive data on a routine basis must always ensure to encrypt the Transport Layer Security.

TLS protects information like login credentials, credit card details, banking information, social security number, api documentation, and health information. When you encrypt the TLS, it ensures to conceal all the sensitive data is from any maliciousness or misuse.

Rely on OAuth and OpenID

Delegating the responsibility of APIs should be carefully done. You should hand over the APIs to a third-party Identity Provider (IdP), who manages the authentications. OAuth 2 is a great mechanism that remembers thousands of passwords for you. Rather than creating a new password on each website, you can easily connect from another provider’s credentials.

The token provided by the third-party server protects you from disclosing the given credentials. The OAuth adds authentication and also allows you to add another layer of identity.

Make Use of Rate-Limiting Middleware

If the API is not used by millions of people every second, the best thing to do is apply limits on the number of API endpoint calls the client can make in a limited period on the window. Applying rate-limiting eliminates the bots making their way in and making your API consume system resources. It is only a couple of minutes of work to set up a rate limit for extra security and ensure that you stay relaxed and comfortable.

Inculcate Filtering of the IP Addresses

If it is a B2B business service, where the APIs are used by stakeholders from different locations, you should consider adding another layer of API endpoint security to restrict the IP addresses that can easily access your API. This way, every IP address of the new clients and locations is thoroughly checked to ensure tight and prominent security for your api manager and API endpoint.

Do Not Overshare

Yes, it is essential in business to share the bare minimum, especially when there are several error messages during communication. However, it is imperative not to display all the information that can be easily accessed by anybody using your API and share only the highly required ones. It prevents you from exposing the data to unnecessary viewers. You should restrict access to your resources and separate the access to different users by hiding crucial information.

Summing It Up

APIs have become the preferred method for modern business applications in today’s world. So, with the developing technology, it is crucial to maintain the safety and security of oneself and the other parties. Though hacking and misusing information has been very common thing for decades, the development in technology has never stepped back from inventing ways to prevent it.

Whenever you combine the right technology that offers accurate resources required to enhance your business, you should deliberately indulge in the security process first to ensure you do not face major problems in the future. If you find difficulty finding the right API platform for developing all these steps for the security, you can trust Unified.cc application developed and launched by 500apps. It ensures endpoint security management stays intact while maintaining regulatory compliance. To find more details about the Unified API platform, visit 500apps now.