One of the fastest-growing security attack surfaces is the Application Programming Interface (API). These functions allow programmers to tap into distributed services like data retrieval or social media broadcasting, vastly expanding the interoperability of different software tools. Accordingly, because API access often requires connecting to or using sensitive data, this presents significant security risks. 

We’re talking about API security and how it can impact your compliance strategies. 

What Is API Security and Why Is it So Important?

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are the backbone of modern service integration. Businesses and vendors can connect infrastructure to other software products and services through APIs. APIs allow outside users to interface with internal application functions through a simplified program interface–for example, by providing code hooks into a third-party database system for specific access to other applications. 

These APIs often require deeper access to system resources than simple apps, especially when authenticating user access. This opens up entirely new approaches for seamless system interoperability, but it also opens up several prominent security risks. 

APIs often function through access to sensitive information… if they couldn’t interact with specific data, then they wouldn’t be of much use to the organization that adopts them. Unfortunately, in a time where data breaches and cyber attacks are increasingly common, APIs can be a primary target due to this access.

OWASP and API Security

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit foundation that works to improve software security. Its famous “Top 10” list for API security is a crucial resource for developers and security professionals. 

This list outlines the top ten API security risks for a given year. In 2023, these were:

1. Broken Object Level Authorization: These threats come when data object identifiers are exposed via API.
   
2. Broken Object Property Level Authorization: Hackers can bypass authorization validation at the data object level through problems with an API.
   
3. Broken User Authentication: At the API level, it’s imperative that authentication artifacts like tokens are secured and that hackers cannot use the API to expose or go around them.
   
4. Lack of Resources and Rate Limiting: Most APIs work on a rated basis, where API calls are charged on a per-call rate. Hackers can restrict access through Denial of Service attacks by leveraging poorly configured rate controls.
   
5. Unrestricted Access to Sensitive Business Flows: Exposed data is one problem, but some APIs can expose entire operation flows improperly. This allows the hacker to access more sensitive internal systems beyond the API and data.
   
6. Broken Function Level Authorization: It’s not hard to understand basic authorization and authentication processes. But, when an organization has complex role-based access or something even more complicated, hackers can use these to move into systems they usually wouldn’t have access to.
   
7. Server-Side Request Forgery: Attackers can also coerce systems to provide resources without proper authorization and through perimeter security.
   
8. Security Misconfiguration: The misconfiguration of security settings can leave one or more parts of an API exposed to threats, and these human-level errors are often at the heart of API hacks.
   
9. Improper Inventory Management: Unlike an inventory of devices, an API inventory is a catalog of API versions and hosts, including testing and debugging versions. Understanding the potential types of API access that are still available and maintaining updated versions that patch security holes is vital.
   
10. Unsafe Consumption of APIs: Integrating third-party APIs provides security risks specifically because developers trust in APIs. This mistake creates security risks for hackers who can pass data through API connections. 

Aligning API Security with Compliance Requirements

In today’s digital environment, APIs are subject to various regulatory and compliance standards that dictate how data should be handled and protected. These standards include the GDPR, HIPAA, FedRAMP, and other frameworks. 

Compliance is not just a legal necessity; it’s a crucial aspect of building trust and credibility with users and stakeholders. Compliance means ensuring that all data exchanges, storage, and processing meet the specified standards for APIs. This involves:

• Security-First Design: Security begins at the code level, and poor security practices at the beginning of the process cannot be solved on the backend by security band-aids.
  
• Data Protection and Privacy: Implementing measures to safeguard personal and sensitive data, as laws like GDPR require. This includes data encryption, secure data transfer, and ensuring data is processed for legitimate purposes.
• Access Control: Ensuring that only authorized individuals or systems can access or manipulate data. This is particularly relevant for APIs dealing with health-related information, where HIPAA compliance requires strict access controls.
• Audit Trails and Record-Keeping: Maintaining comprehensive logs of data access and transfers through APIs, a requirement under various compliance frameworks. This aids in auditability and transparency.

Integration into Broader IT Frameworks

API security doesn’t exist in isolation; it’s an integral part of the broader IT security landscape. Understanding how API security fits into and supports existing security frameworks is crucial for a holistic security strategy. 

• NIST Cybersecurity Framework: This framework is built around five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. API security is pivotal in these areas, from identifying potential API-related vulnerabilities to responding to incidents involving API breaches.
• ISO/IEC 27001: This international standard outlines best practices for an information security management system (ISMS). API security contributes to this standard by ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information processed by APIs.
  
• FedRAMP: Because FedRAMP specifically deals with cloud providers, the question of API security is paramount. However, there isn’t a dedicated “API Security” section of NIST 800-53… rather, the concerns of API security are spread out among other control families touching on authentication, data privacy, etc.
  
• HIPAA: More often than not, a Covered Entity won’t worry too much about API security… but they will need to work with Business Associates (like software and service providers) who employ compliant security and can document it in a Business Associate Agreement.

Best Practices in API Security

• Integrating Compliance into the API Development Lifecycle: Embed compliance considerations into the API development process. This means incorporating security and compliance checks at each stage of development, from design to deployment, and utilizing good programming practices like error handling and scanning.
  
• Strong Authentication Mechanisms: Implement robust authentication methods such as OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect to verify the identity of users or services accessing the API.
• Authorization Controls: Ensure users or services have the correct access or modify resource permissions. Role-based and attribute-based access control are effective strategies for managing access rights.
• Transport Layer Security (TLS): Use TLS to encrypt data in transit, preventing interception and tampering of API communications.
• Data Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data at rest to protect it from unauthorized access or breaches.
  
• Automated Security Scans: Regularly perform automated security scans and static code analysis to identify vulnerabilities in the API.|
  
• Rate Limiting and Throttling: Implement rate limiting to prevent abuse of the API, such as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. This typically shouldn’t impact typical data use, but different platforms will have different use thresholds. 
• API Gateway: Use an API gateway to manage, monitor, and secure API traffic, acting as a protective layer that intercepts all requests to your APIs.
  
• Third-Party Risk Management: If your APIs interact with third-party services, ensure these external entities comply with the relevant standards. This may involve conducting security assessments of third-party APIs and reviewing their compliance certifications.

Maintain Your Software and API Security with Continuum GRC

Want a solution that can help you monitor compliance controls across your organization? Trust Continuum GRC. 

Continuum GRC is a cloud platform that can take something as routine and necessary as regular vulnerability scanning and reporting under FedRAMP and make it an easy and timely part of business in the public sector. We provide risk management and compliance support for every major regulation and compliance framework on the market, including:

• FedRAMP
• StateRAMP
• NIST 800-53
• FARS NIST 800-171
• CMMC
• SOC 1, SOC 2
• HIPAA
• PCI DSS 4.0
• IRS 1075
• COSO SOX
• ISO 27000 Series
• ISO 9000 Series
• And more.

We are the only FedRAMP and StateRAMP-authorized compliance and risk management solution worldwide.

Continuum GRC is a proactive cyber security® and the only FedRAMP and StateRAMP-authorized cybersecurity audit platform worldwide. Call 1-888-896-6207 to discuss your organization’s cybersecurity needs and find out how we can help your organization protect its systems and ensure compliance.