APIs is the abbreviation for Application Programming Interface. It refers to a set of specifications that enable web developers to build software applications, such as websites, apps and browsers.
Within the field of software development, APIs are often referred to as the software layer or API layer – its how external or 3rd party applications interact with your website.
Although we commonly think of them as a programming language (e.g.- HTML), APIs are so much more than that; they are essentially a set of rules that govern how different programs can communicate with each other.
This article explores 5 key attacks trends in API security that you should start monitoring now, in order to keep your company at the forefront of cyber security defense strategies moving forward.
APIs: The Backbone of Cyber Security Defense Strategies
API security is crucial for any company, as its a major entry point for cybercriminals. Its not just about securing data anymore its about managing the data lifecycle and protecting your API from being exploited by hackers. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you should start investing in proper API security now.
What You Should Monitor For In API Security
- Brute-force authentication
Brute-force authentication is a process that involves a hacker trying to gain access to your system by repeatedly trying different combinations of login credentials until they are successful in gaining access to the data they are after.
- Cross-site request forgery (CSRF)
CSRF is when an attacker tricks a website into performing actions on behalf of someone else – its one of the most common attacks and one of the easier ones to defend against.
- HTTP header injection
Injection is when malicious code is injected into an applications HTTP request headers. This can make some requests seem legitimate, but can still allow an attacker to tamper with any information exchanged between your website and the user.
- On-device fingerprinting
On device fingerprinting refers to when attackers use various methods, such as sensors or battery power, in order to identify and track devices, which enables them to launch further attacks. This is another surprisingly common attack amongst hackers.
- Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks
A MITM attack happens when attackers intercept traffic between two computers or devices in order to steal information or gain unauthorized access. It usually happens when users connect through a public Wi-Fi hotspot, which can also be attributed as how easy these types of attacks happen most often.
3 Attacks Trends in API Security That Are Changing The Web Forever
As more and more of our lives are moving online, the security of APIs has become a growing concern for businesses and users. However, with the proper knowledge, you can keep up with the changing trends so you can stay ahead of the game.
- The first attack trend that you should be watching out for is outdated API security settings. As companies continue to take advantage of new technology, they are often not as cautious as they should be about their API security settings. For example, a common practice among many companies is to set their API key passwords to be easy-to-remember strings or phrases – such as “kim” or “password.” This allows programmers and hackers to easily find these passwords and crack them in order to gain access and manipulate data on your website.
- The second attack trend that you should monitor is submitting multiple requests in a short amount of time in order to overwhelm an application or web service. This strategy can be used by hackers to steal sensitive information like credit card information or login credentials that would have been difficult for them otherwise.
- The third attack trend that were going to talk about is sending invalid requests: sending requests without any parameters, headers or other important information in order to trick applications into giving up valuable information such as personal details (e.g.- name) or session tokens (e.g.- cookies). Once these tokens are stolen from your system, hackers are able to create fake accounts on
Conclusion
Security and performance are the top priorities for the tech industry. As more and more companies invest in APIs, its important to make sure your data is protected.
To do this, its important to know what to monitor for in API security. Here are three attack trends that you should keep your eye on.