Ensure your API follows best security practices by using this checklist.
- HTTPS (SSL/TLS Encryption): Ensure all API traffic is encrypted using HTTPS to protect data in transit.
- OAuth 2.0: Use OAuth 2.0 for authorization, providing secure access without exposing user credentials.
- WebAuthn (Web Authentication): Implement WebAuthn for strong, passwordless authentication for web applications.
- Leveled API Keys: Use API keys with different access levels (e.g., read-only, admin) to ensure proper access control.
- Authorization (Role-Based Access Control): Implement fine-grained access controls to ensure users or services have only the necessary permissions.
- API Versioning: Implement versioning to allow safe deprecation of old APIs and maintain backward compatibility.
- IP Allowlisting/Whitelisting: Limit access to the API to specific IP addresses or ranges to reduce exposure to unwanted traffic.
- OWASP API Security: Regularly check and adhere to OWASP API Security best practices to mitigate top API threats (e.g., injection, broken authentication).
- API Gateway: Use an API gateway for traffic management, rate limiting, and security enforcement to protect APIs from common threats.
- Error Handling: Avoid exposing sensitive details in error messages. Provide generic error responses that do not reveal internal mechanisms.
- Input Validation and Sanitization: Ensure all inputs are properly validated and sanitized to prevent SQL injection, XSS, and other common attacks.
- Authentication: Require strong authentication mechanisms (e.g., OAuth 2.0, API keys, JWTs) to ensure only authorized users access the API.
- Authorization: Implement role-based access controls to ensure users have the correct permissions for each resource.
- Output Encoding: Encode outputs to prevent the introduction of executable code and mitigate risks like XSS attacks.
- Logging and Monitoring: Implement logging of all API interactions, including authentication failures and suspicious activities, and monitor these logs regularly for signs of attacks.
- Rate Limiting: Control the number of requests an API client can make to prevent abuse and mitigate denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
- Token Expiry: Ensure that tokens (like JWTs) have a short lifespan and require re-authentication to limit exposure from compromised tokens.
- CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing): Configure CORS policies to control which domains can access the API.
- Data Encryption (At Rest and In Transit): Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit using appropriate encryption standards (e.g., AES, TLS).
- Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Protection: Use anti-CSRF tokens to ensure that requests are legitimate and not from forged sources.
- API Throttling: Implement throttling to prevent API abuse and protect against large-scale attacks like brute-force attempts.
- Security Headers: Use security headers such as X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and Content-Security-Policy to mitigate attacks.
- Traffic Filtering (DDoS Protection): Use firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and API gateways to filter traffic and block malicious requests.
- HMAC (Hash-based Message Authentication Code): Use HMAC for verifying message integrity and ensuring data authenticity.
- Session Management: Implement secure session management techniques, including session timeouts and revocation.
- Egress Filtering: Control outbound API traffic to prevent data leakage or communication with unauthorized third parties.
- Security Audits and Penetration Testing: Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify weaknesses in the API.
- API Documentation Security: Secure API documentation portals with authentication and restrict access to sensitive internal documentation.
- Use this checklist to guide the implementation and review of security practices in your API.