The 6 Phases of API Security

Because APIs are the building blocks of modern software architecture, securing them is critical. Since API security is multi-faceted, focusing on different stages of API security during the software development phase may require varying security testing technologies during each phase to ensure the security and integrity of the API.

In this blog, we’ll delve into the 6 key stages of API development and the security requirements, recommended security testing technology, and common vulnerabilities identified throughout each phase.

Phase I: Planning and Design

In the planning and design phase, developers should prioritize the following two actions:

• Security Requirements Analysis: Determine the security requirements for the API such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and data privacy.
• API Discovery: Identify potential security threats and vulnerabilities based on the design and architecture of the API.

Recommended API Security Testing Technology

Attack Surface Management (ASM): Attack Surface Management (ASM) starts with API discovery to identify vulnerabilities in your API design and security controls. ASM tools will inventory and prioritize the number of vulnerable APIs and provide a starting point or roadmap based on actual risk to begin further testing.

API Security Checklist: The discovery of APIs through ASM can help you establish security checklists and guidelines provided by OWASP, NIST, and other reputable sources for securing APIs and evaluating your design.

Common Vulnerabilities Identified in the Planning & Design Phase:

• Inadequate authentication mechanisms
• Improper input validation
• Broken function-level authorization
• Missing rate limiting and throttling
• Insecure parameter handling

Phase II: Development

In the development stage, the following actions should be taken:

• Code Reviews: Conduct code reviews with a focus on security to identify and fix vulnerabilities early in the development process.
• Static Application Security Testing (SAST): Use automated tools to analyze the source code for security vulnerabilities such as injection attacks, insecure coding practices, and data exposure.

Recommended API Security Testing Technology

PTaaS: Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) will simulate real-world attacks to analyze source code for security vulnerabilities and potential entry points that attackers could exploit.

Manual Pentesting: Human-delivered pentesting will review code for security issues that automated tools might miss.

SAST: Static Application Security Testing (SAST) will analyze source code, bytecode, or binary code of an API to identify vulnerabilities early in the development process and is effective at catching coding errors and insecure practices.

Common Vulnerabilities Identified in the Development Phase:

• Injection attacks (SQL, NoSQL)
• Broken authentication and session management
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• XML External Entity (XXE)
• Insecure direct object references

Phase III: Testing and Quality Assurance

In the testing and quality assurance phase, the following actions should be taken to ensure that the API is secure prior to releasing it into production:

• Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Test the API by sending various inputs and payloads to identify runtime vulnerabilities like injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS), and security misconfigurations.
• Authentication and Authorization Testing: Verify that authentication and authorization mechanisms are properly implemented and prevent unauthorized access.
• Data Validation and Input Validation Testing: Test input validation mechanisms to prevent data manipulation attacks.
• Session Management Testing: Check for vulnerabilities related to session handling and management.

Recommended API Security Testing Technology

PTaaS: Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) will test the running API(s) with malicious inputs to identify vulnerabilities by simulating attacks including testing RESTful APIs.

Manual Pentesting: Manual penetration testing will help identify vulnerabilities left undetected by automation.

SAST: Static Application Security Testing (SAST) provides static code analysis to identify vulnerabilities in the source code of APIs.

DAST: Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) that scans for vulnerabilities by interacting with the API endpoints and analyzing responses.

Common Vulnerabilities Identified in the Testing and QA Phase:

• Injection attacks (SQL, Command)
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
• Broken authentication
• API rate limiting
• Denial of Service (DoS)
• Improper input validation

Phase IV: Integration and Deployment

In the integration and deployment phase, developers should take the following actions:

• API Gateway Security Testing: If an API gateway is used, ensure it’s properly configured for security such as rate limiting, traffic filtering, and authentication enforcement.
• Transport Layer Security (TLS) Verification: Verify that proper encryption is implemented for data transmission.
• Container Security: If APIs are deployed in containers, ensure container security measures are in place to prevent container-specific vulnerabilities.

Recommended API Security Testing Technology

DAST: Prior to deployment of the API, Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) can identify vulnerabilities and ensure the robustness of your APIs.

API Pentesting: API pentesting ensures that the environment is secure and ready for production by sending different types of requests and analyzing responses, performing assertions and verification on API responses, and more.

Network Scanning: Automated network scanning tools help identify open ports and services, assisting in vulnerability assessment.

Common Vulnerabilities Identified in the Integration and Deployment Phase:

• SQL and command injections
• Broken or insecure authentication/authorization
• TLS/SSL data interception
• Exposed APIs with endpoints
• DDoS attacks
• Inadequate logging

Phase V: Monitoring and Maintenance

The following actions should be taken on a continuous basis in the monitoring and maintenance phase to ensure that the API remains secure:

• Web Application Firewall (WAF) Configuration Review: Configure WAF rules to protect against common attacks and continuously monitor and update them.
• Log Analysis: Regularly review API logs for suspicious activities or signs of unauthorized access.
• Penetration Testing: Conduct periodic penetration tests to simulate real-world attacks and identify vulnerabilities that may have been missed during earlier stages.
• Security Patching and Updates: Keep all software components up to date with the latest security patches to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploited.

Recommended API Security Testing Technology

API Pentesting: After deployment, API pentesting is crucial to identify vulnerabilities and ongoing security monitoring can filter incoming API traffic for known attack patterns and vulnerabilities.

Automated Scanning: Automated scanning tools can also monitor and analyze API logs to help detect unusual activities, suspicious patterns, and potential security breaches.

Common Vulnerabilities Identified in the Monitoring and Maintenance Phase:

• Improper authentication/authorization
• Injection attacks (SQL, command)
• Broken function-level authorization
• Insecure deserialization
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
• Broken session management
• DoS attacks

Phase VI: Decommissioning

Before decommissioning an API, the following actions should be taken to ensure that the API is shut down securely:

• Data Sanitization: Ensure that sensitive data is properly sanitized and the API is shut down securely before decommissioning the API to prevent data leakage.

Recommended API Security Testing Technology

Data Sanitization Tools: Sanitization tools remove or anonymize sensitive data from the API’s storage and databases before commissioning.

Secure Data Deletion: Technology methods that securely delete data, such as overwriting data with random values or using data shredding techniques.

Backup and Restoration Tools: Ensure that any backup copies of the API’s data are also securely deleted or sanitized. Security validation tools can help verify backups are not accidentally reintroducing sensitive data.

Common Vulnerabilities Identified in the Decommissioning Phase:

• Data residuals
• Orphaned data
• Lack of audit trails
• Unsecured API endpoints
• Unintended API exposure
• Improper certificate management

Throughout the API development lifecycle, it’s essential to incorporate security best practices and perform continuous security testing to identify and address vulnerabilities early on. Additionally, collaborating with security providers like BreachLock who can offer cyber security validation tools across all phases of development can significantly enhance the security of your APIs.

BreachLock API Penetration Testing Solutions for Your Security Needs

Today, it is imperative to rigorously test the security of your APIs to identify vulnerabilities that could potentially jeopardize your security ecosystem, user base, and data integrity. BreachLock is one of the few security providers that offers continuous security testing of APIs through software development, deployment, and data sanitization.

BreachLock employs both automated and manual pentesting for innovative API security assessments, resulting in enhanced API security for internal, external, and composite APIs. With BreachLock’s Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) and continuous pentesting services, organizations can initiate regular API penetration testing within a single day and receive comprehensive findings within days to promptly initiate critical risk mitigation measures.

Download the 2024 BreachLock API Security Guide to learn more about the technologies and strategies you can implement to fortify the security of your APIs and other assets.

About BreachLock

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