What APIs Are and How to Protect Them from Abuse

Summary

An overview of how APIs connect applications, how attackers may abuse them to disrupt services or access data, and basic safeguards including encryption, role-based access, API gateways, zero trust, and monitoring.

Key points

• APIs let software applications exchange requests, responses, and data across platforms and programming languages.
• The article describes DDoS, brute-force attempts, machine-in-the-middle attacks, and exposed or compromised API keys as potential threats.
• It says detailed API documentation may also help attackers refine their use of APIs.
• Suggested safeguards include encrypting data at rest and in transit, role-based access control, API gateways, zero-trust models, and ongoing monitoring.
• The article notes that legacy APIs may be overlooked and left unprotected.