APIs are increasingly popular and are preferred by developers to choose applications in the software development process, but are they really safe?
Is the API secure?
In the process of using the API, the user does not need to share all his personal data with the server.
And vice versa, the server will not access all the data it has, but instead, each communication only converts the necessary small packets.
However, managing a set of APIs is a huge challenge when the level of its usage is increasing rapidly, making the risk of attacks more dangerous than ever.
The superiority and widespread popularity of APIs have made them a top exploitation target for hackers. This can lead to many serious consequences such as loss of confidential data.
Cybercriminals can completely take advantage of the flexible nature of APIs to perform acts that adversely affect individuals and businesses...
In addition, APIs are also in a state of constant innovation, making privacy policies sometimes unable to keep up with this rate.
Some errors make the API unsafe
No user authentication
Many APIs do not check the authentication status when a request is made from the user, allowing hackers to attack and spoof illegal identities.
It is the perfect target for cybercriminals in the work of taking over user accounts.
In addition, it can also be used by them to spy and determine how the API works.
Weak encryption
The API's lack of strong encryption between the server and the user has created a favorable opportunity for hackers to perform MITM (man-in-the-middle) attacks.
Thereby, these hackers will proceed to prevent any unencrypted or weakly protected API transactions, for the purpose of stealing sensitive information.
Poor endpoint security
It can be said that almost every IoT device and microservice tool has been programmed to communicate with the server through API channels.
They will authenticate themselves on the API server via the client certificate.
When hackers successfully take control of the API from an IoT endpoint, they can completely change the order and cause a data breach.
How to secure the API to be safe?
- Using SSL security certificate serves to encrypt important data transmitted.
- Create a digital signature consisting of symbolic characters for a user, store them in the database and provide them only in case the correct name and password are entered.
- Do not choose to use fixed or embedded passwords, avoid including personal information.
- Check the authority of every user and authenticate the application.
