Widespread API use heightens cybersecurity risks [source: helpnetsecurity]

01 Feb 2018

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A new Imperva survey showed a heightened concern for cybersecurity risk related to API use. Specifically, 63 percent of respondents are most worried about DDoS threats, bot attacks, and authentication enforcement for APIs.

APIs power the interactive digital experiences users love and are fundamental to an organization’s digital transformation. However, they also provide a window into an application that presents a heightened cybersecurity risk. The survey shows that 69 percent of organizations are exposing APIs to the public and their partners and that organizations are on average managing 363 different APIs.

Public-facing APIs are a key security concern because they are a direct vector to the sensitive data behind applications. Eighty percent of organizations use a public cloud service to protect the data behind their APIs with most people using the combination of API gateways (63.2 percent) and web application firewalls (63.2 percent).

“APIs represent a growing security risk because they expose multiple avenues for hackers to try to access a company’s data,” said Terry Ray, CTO for Imperva. “To close the door on security risks and protect their customers, companies need to treat APIs with the same level of protection that they provide for their business-critical web applications.”

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