API Security Resources & Blog

1. Authentication & Authorization

Implement JWT or OAuth 2.0 for API authenticationUse short-lived access tokens (15-60 minutes)Implement refresh token rotationEnforce role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC)Never expose API keys in client-side code or URLsImplement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for sensitive operations

2. Rate Limiting & Throttling

Implement rate limiting per user/IP (e.g., 100 requests/minute)Set stricter limits for sensitive endpoints (login, payment, etc.)Return proper HTTP 429 status codes when rate limit exceededInclude rate limit headers (X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining)Implement exponential backoff for repeated failures

3. Input Validation & Sanitization

Validate all input against strict schemas (use JSON Schema, Pydantic, etc.)Sanitize all user input to prevent SQL injectionEscape output to prevent XSS attacksImplement request size limits to prevent DoS (e.g., max 10MB payload)Use parameterized queries to prevent injection attacksReject unexpected Content-Types

4. Encryption & Data Protection

Use HTTPS/TLS 1.3 for all API trafficEncrypt sensitive data at rest (PII, passwords, API keys)Never log sensitive data (passwords, tokens, credit cards)Implement HSTS headers (Strict-Transport-Security)Use strong hashing algorithms for passwords (bcrypt, Argon2)

5. Monitoring & Logging

Log all authentication attempts (success and failure)Monitor for suspicious patterns (brute force, unusual traffic)Set up alerts for security events (high error rates, blocked IPs)Track API usage metrics and anomaliesImplement centralized logging (ELK, Datadog, etc.)

6. API Gateway Configuration

Configure CORS properly (avoid wildcards in production)Disable unnecessary HTTP methods (TRACE, OPTIONS if not needed)Set security headers (X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, CSP)Implement IP whitelisting for admin/internal APIsUse API versioning (v1, v2) to manage breaking changes

7. OWASP API Security Top 10

Prevent Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA/IDOR)Prevent Broken User AuthenticationPrevent Excessive Data Exposure (return only necessary fields)Implement resource-based rate limiting (prevent mass assignment)Prevent Security Misconfiguration (follow least privilege principle)Prevent Injection attacks (SQL, NoSQL, Command Injection)

8. Deployment & Infrastructure

Use environment variables for secrets (never hardcode)Implement secret rotation for API keys and tokensKeep dependencies updated (automated security scanning)Use container security scanning (Trivy, Snyk)Implement CI/CD security gates

API Security Checklist