The main challenges start with lack of visibility into APIs and their risks and include the need to identify and address vulnerabilities such as API misconfigurations, API coding errors, and missing authentication controls. Also key to managing an API security posture: understanding and securing against evolving API attack methods such as those listed in the OWASP Top 10 API Risks. These issues can be compounded by the rapid development and deployment of new APIs, which often exchange sensitive data and provide a gateway to costly API breaches.
Real-time threat detection involves continuously monitoring API traffic for anomalies, data tampering, and policy violations. When a threat is detected, the system should alert security teams and, ideally, automatically block or remediate the attack to prevent data exfiltration and other malicious activities.
The shift-left approach in API security testing means integrating security testing early in the development process, rather than waiting until the API is in production. This is important because it allows teams to identify and fix vulnerabilities early, reducing the risk of successful attacks and ensuring that APIs are secure from the start.
Key features include the ability to locate and inventory APIs regardless of type or configuration, detect dormant and legacy APIs, identify shadow domains, perform automatic scans for critical issues, and minimize custom development through pre-built integrations with major infrastructure components.
Customizable severity levels allow organizations to prioritize remediation efforts based on their specific risk tolerance, regulatory requirements, and internal policies. This ensures that the most critical vulnerabilities are addressed first, helping to manage resources more effectively and reduce the overall risk.
