Moving to API-centric security

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“Attackers build an economic model around this, estimating the cost of an attack and the expected profit, whether it’s data theft, fraud, or downloading ransomware,” says Kare. “And all of that is possible with API exploits.”

Despite this reality, organizations focus on protecting infrastructure and attacking end-user web applications, leaving APIs vulnerable, laments Kare. The defense model has traditionally been a castle with a moat, but that metaphor needs to be updated, he says.

“We’re not protecting a castle, we’re protecting a marketplace, which means we have to protect multiple points, not just one entry point, because of course people are going to come from all over, agents are going to come from all over and try to do business in the marketplace using the APIs that we provide,” says Care.

The increased speed of development and the shift to panama mobile database have increased the need to secure APIs, he says. He advises organizations to start an “active, continuous, iterative discovery and inventory process” that maps out applications and keeps an updated list of APIs. After all, unmanaged APIs are the ones that pose the greatest risk.

According to him, the Open Web Application Security Project ( OWASP ) in its latest version also emphasizes the importance of OAuth authentication security in API services and API security in general.

“We know that developers are under pressure to deliver features and content quickly,” says Kare. “That means there’s a never-ending battle to discover and gain visibility into where APIs are, where APIs are in apps, how they’re being accessed.”