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Security Intermediate

What is API Security?

Practices and mechanisms for protecting APIs from unauthorized access, data breaches, and abuse.

API security encompasses authentication (verifying identity — API keys, OAuth tokens, JWTs), authorization (verifying permissions — scopes, RBAC), transport security (HTTPS/TLS), input validation (preventing injection), rate limiting (preventing abuse), and monitoring (detecting anomalies). Common vulnerabilities include Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA — accessing other users' data by changing IDs), excessive data exposure (returning more fields than needed), and mass assignment (accepting unexpected fields). The OWASP API Security Top 10 lists the most critical API risks. Best practices include using short-lived tokens, validating all inputs, implementing proper error handling without leaking details, and logging all API access for audit.

Related Terms

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
An attack that injects malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially stealing data or session tokens.
Penetration Testing
An authorized simulated cyberattack on a system to evaluate its security defenses and identify vulnerabilities.
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)
An attack that floods a target server or network with traffic from multiple sources to overwhelm it and deny service to legitimate users.
SOC (Security Operations Center)
A centralized team and facility responsible for monitoring, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity threats 24/7.
SQL Injection
An attack where malicious SQL code is inserted into application queries through user input to access or manipulate the database.
OAuth 2.0
An authorization framework that allows third-party applications to access user resources without sharing passwords.
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