APIs and their fragility in the digital context

APIs (Application programming interfaces) are fundamental in the era of the digital economy. However, securing them represents a complex challenge. APIs are the couriers that transport data between different applications and, precisely because of their architecture, they are vulnerable to attacks. Enterprises face difficulties in protecting APIs, mainly due to technical and cultural challenges.

The importance of APIs and associated risks

APIs represent the soul of the applications used daily by companies and consumers. However, their widespread use and the absence of adequate supervision by developers and users facilitates cyber attacks. APIs are vulnerable to cyber attacks, and hackers exploit their poor documentation and lack of adequate tracking to compromise application security. Only 70% of enterprises have implemented API protection measures.

API security challenges

API security presents several challenges. Enterprises develop large numbers of APIs without having a complete view of them, making it difficult to protect them effectively. Furthermore, there is a lack of a common standard for API development and protection, and cyber defense tools often do not consider API security. API attacks are different from traditional ones and require a specific protection strategy.

Strategies for protecting APIs

To ensure API security, businesses must understand and carefully monitor the APIs they develop and use. It is important to identify and measure normal and anomalous behaviors of APIs during development and testing. It is possible to rely on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning systems to detect cyber attacks and improve cyber defense. Additionally, it's critical to coordinate across company departments, such as SOCs, and involve developers in creating API-specific security practices.