1. Use Authentication
- One of the most crucial components of API security is authentication.
- Always use secure authentication techniques like JWT or OAuth to confirm user identity.
- Simple HTTP authentication should never be used as it sends fields without encryption.
2. Use API gateway
- Always place an API behind a gateway.
- Since API gateways consolidate both security-related activities and useful business-related operations, this has various advantages.
- Rate limitation, barring malicious clients, are all characteristics of API gateways.
3. Validate inputs
- Specify the acceptable inputs in your API documentation.
- Prior to doing any server-side data modification or writing data to the database, don't forget to verify every input.
4. Prevent improper entry attempts
They can be,
- Remote Code Execution (RCE)
- SQL Injection
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Sending API keys or other sensitive data in the URL is not advised. Always use the Authorization header for them.
5. Limit requests (Throttling)
- You may avoid DoS/brute-force attacks by limiting the number of queries sent.
- Unfortunately, DDoS assaults don't respond well to this technique.
6. Output data
- Only the relevant info should be returned. Take care not to return any delicate information, such as API keys or passwords.
- Remove the X-Powered-By and Server headers from your HTTP response by checking them. Potential hackers may receive information from them.