Consider a scenario wherein a user withdraws money from an ATM machine. The user inserts the ATM card and requests for money withdrawal (Client) by giving the right PIN and the ATM machine processes the request and delivers (server) the money to the user. The ATM machine that accepts the user request and gives the required money is the mediator or in other words is the ‘middle man’. This is exactly the concept of API, which needs to be secured from end to end.
Why API Security Assessment?
API means Application Programming Interface. There are 2 kinds of API as below,
- Standalone API – Dedicated API application
- Integrated API – Embedded with application
Securing an application is important and securing the important functionalities that’re associated with an application’s working is important too.
- 540 Millions Facebook user records were exposed due to an unsecured API
- 1.1 Billion users’ identity data were at risk due to unsecured API
- E-commerce payment was trapped due to lack of secured API
API provides the easiest method for an intruder to extract maximum information of your application.Further, an error in an individual application just affects it whereas even a venial error in an APIaffects every application that’s widely reliedon it. In short, a single error can cause problems across your entire organization, as well as any external organizations using your API.
Boons of Cycatz:
The most important functionalities of API are
- For a given input, the API must provide the expected output.
- Inputs must appear within a specific range for the most part, so values outside the range must be rejected.
- Inputs of an incorrect type must be rejected.
- Any input that is null (empty), when a null is unacceptable, must be rejected.
- Inputs of an incorrect size must be rejected.
All these will be tested by our security professionals covering OWASP API top 10 security framework.
The findings will be reported and cutting edge mitigations will be given be stated to the concerned team in time.
Wake Up Words:
Securing an application isn’t just suffice but securing even the functionalities connected with it is indispensable.
To know further, kindly feel free to reach out at [email protected] anytime!