BY USE CASE
Secure Distributed Work
Boost Productivity
BY INDUSTRY
API security is the protection of application programming interfaces (APIs) from cyberattacks. Along with web applications, APIs are the engines of digital transformation—but they are also highly vulnerable to attack. From SQL injections to server misconfigurations, there is no shortage of cybersecurity threats that can leave APIs exposed to harm, resulting in costly data breaches and sharp reductions in productivity. API security features such as API discovery and API abuse help mitigate these security risks, while working in tandem with other security mechanisms such as bot management and web application firewalls (WAF) to holistically protect all operating environments.
Explore additional API security topics:
As IT environments become more complex, so does securing all of the APIs that connect the essential components and facilitate client access.
Environments now span multiple clouds and application architectures, incorporate open source platforms such as Kubernetes, and serve more remote employees. The result is a new set of challenges in ensuring sufficient API security. In this context, a suitable API security solution can be cloud-delivered or on-premises, with functionality including but not limited to:
To deliver these key API management and protection features, a modern API security platform may harness the power of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to continuously adapt to changing threats. Multiple points of presence (PoP) may also be implemented to support reliable performance and redundancy at the global level.
Because they are automated by design, APIs are uniquely vulnerable to automated cyberattacks, such as ones that attempt to replay credentials stolen during data breaches (credential stuffing). Attacks leveraging programmable bots, not to mention DDoS campaigns, are also constant concerns.
The sophistication of these types of threats has only increased in tandem with the complexity of operational and security information environments. Essentially, companies are more reliant than ever upon:
More specifically, IT needs to not only enforce access control, authorization, and authentication to keep advanced threats at bay, but also ensure holistic protection in support of a consistent security posture across multi-cloud setups. API security solutions can now deliver this level of comprehensive, layered cybersecurity and more streamlined API management through a convenient cloud-delivered service with capabilities.
API security solutions can minimize operational and infrastructural complexity by offering dashboards that make it easy to configure, scale, and maintain robust application and API security. Securing critical API vulnerabilities may be done via a unified self-service portal for all security administration and enforcement—in other words, a single pane of glass for policy control.
With an API security platform, you may screen traffic to or from any connected application, whether it’s hosted in a public or private cloud, housed on-premises, or built on a monolithic or microservice-based architecture. So as your APIs evolve and support additional backend services and newly migrated applications, the API security platform can keep pace and apply the right protections to all of them.
The web application firewall (WAF) within an API security architecture is designed to shield apps and APIs from even the most sophisticated threats. Signature scanning helps identify known attacks and API vulnerabilities, while a positive security model can combat zero-day threats by permitting only the services fundamentally required by the environment.
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks come in multiple forms, including variants that convincingly mimic the behavior of legitimate requests. API security may incorporate Layer 4-7 DDoS mitigation to stop both volumetric attacks and more advanced Layer 7 campaigns attempting to exploit API security vulnerabilities. An always-on, high-capacity, global scrubbing network may provide further support for mitigation of DDoS attacks and ensure that only clean traffic is passed back to an organization’s infrastructure.
Their highly automated nature allows malicious bots to scrape information and overload APIs with junk requests. To keep bots in check, API security tools may implement real-time bot mitigation through signatures and device fingerprinting. Integration with SIEMs and collaboration platforms also allows for real-time dashboards and detailed reporting on bots and other API security threats.
WHITE PAPER
Learn why comprehensive and layered API protection is essential in today's multi-cloud environments.
Citrix Web App and API Protection delivers comprehensive, integrated, and multilayered API security. In addition, Citrix ADC and Citrix Application Delivery Management can further strengthen security through functionality such as API gateways with customizable parameters.