Whether you are a developer or not, we all use APIs (Applications Programming Interfaces). You can use them as a developer, consumer, or end user. For example, let us look at some things you might do in a day.
You wake up in the morning and order breakfast online. When it is delivered, you make payment through the delivery app but using PayPal. You then take a shower, use a weather app to see the weather for the day, and then order an online cab to go to work. In those instances, you have used many APIs.
However, have you ever wondered how these APIs are secured? If you are a developer, do you know the best practices for securing RESTful APIs in 2023? Here they are.
1. Always Scan for Vulnerabilities
The proliferation of APIs enabled by services such as the Rapid Company has made it necessary for you to always scan your APIs for vulnerabilities. You should automate the process and then identify and mitigate any vulnerabilities found.
You can do this using automated tools that can check for any security gaps. They compare the configuration of your APIs with their database of vulnerabilities. The good news is that you can do this anytime you want, or even set the frequency you want.
2. Rate-Limiting and Throttling
You should use rate-limiting to avoid vulnerabilities like brute force and DDoS attacks, such as this attack recorded by Google – it had 46 million requests per second. Sometimes, you can implement soft limits that allow your API users to go beyond your set request limits, but for only a short time.
However, never forget to implement timeouts. This is because they can help you handle the asynchronous and synchronous requests. You can also use throttling to ensure that you have evaluated each request made to your API.
It allows you to create a temporary state for the API that helps prevent denial of service issues or abuse. When using throttling, remember when to enforce the limit and the amount of data you need to allow for every user.
3. Restrict or Avoid HTTP Methods
When using REST APIs, you enable web applications to execute using different HTTP operations. However, you should understand that data going over HTTP is not encrypted. It means that you might be exposing your APIs and data for interception and exploitation.
If you are a developer, chances are that you have used POST, GET, DELETE, and PUT methods. Did you know that they are not secure and you should avoid them as much as you can?
If you cannot avoid them completely, then create policies that vet how the methods are used. Ensure that you have strictly followed these policies and reject any requests that do not follow your policies.
4. Use HTTPS/TLS
You can transfer data between servers and web browsers securely through the protocol provided by HTTPS and TLS. You can even use HTTPS to protect authentication information even when such information is in transit.
One of the most important things you should do is to ensure all your APIs have implemented HTTPS for authenticity, confidentiality, and integrity. You should also ensure you have used client-side certificates that have been authenticated.
In addition, avoid having HTTP redirected to HTTPS. It might lead to a situation where you break the security of your API client.
5. Use API Gateway
You should ensure the client interface has been decoupled from all backend APIs. This is important in ensuring you have a centralized resource that enables scalability and availability consistently.
This is one of the reasons you need an API gateway. In addition to managing different API services, you also need a way to deal with standard functions like user authentication, rate limiting, and telemetry. This helps you make sure that internal services are secured.
You can use the API gateway as a gatekeeper to evaluate and accept API calls and then coordinate required resources to ensure the calls are serviced.
Secure Your APIs
APIs are computing interfaces that allow applications to communicate and share information. They dictate how data is sent, the conventions used, data formats, and the responses sent. It, therefore, means that sensitive and personal information and data go through these APIs.
If you have not secured APIs, you might find yourself in a situation where you have lost all this data. Fortunately, you can implement the security measures discussed above to ensure that your RESTful APIs are secure.
