API Security Testing Essentials: 7 Insights to Equip Your Team

What do you need to know about API security testing? How is it different from API security? What are the benefits and the disadvantages? How

API security testing is a dense subject.

From SAST to DAST to IAST-we quickly cover in this blog how major security vulnerabilities, like those mentioned in the OWASP top 10 and tied to APIs, are uncovered via testing.

To help you stay ahead, this guide also discusses the list of potential security benefits linked to API security testing to protect your attack surface.

What is API security testing?

API security testing is a systematic evaluation of API endpoints, to pick out and mitigate security vulnerabilities. During this process professionals will also evaluate authentication and authorization mechanisms for APIs.

So, what exactly happens?

In this process, specialized tools and techniques (like those listed here LINK ABOVE TECHNIQUES) are used to simulate real-world attacks, validate input handling, and verify proper error management to protect against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats.

Put simply, API security testing is a technique used to uncover vulnerabilities on APIs. It involves sending API requests, just like a hacker would –  and observing how it behaves.

Also, certain major vulnerabilities tied to APIs can only be uncovered through API security testing, like most OWASP top 10 risks. New Forrester research confirms this. It claims that API security software has become a necessity for CISOs and SOC teams.

What are the types of API security testing?

There are different types of tests that can be performed on APIs and web applications. These include:

• Static Application Security Test (SAST): Inspects the code for vulnerabilities. It requires access to the code.
• Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Examines vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs. It does not involve any prior knowledge of the code. DAST does not require access to or modification of the application’s source code. Instead, it tests the application by sending various inputs, including potentially malicious or unexpected data, to uncover security weaknesses in the running application
• Interactive Application Security Test (IAST): Combines SAST and DAST and is used during software development. Requires access to the code.

Good to know
DAST tests are widely considered as the best test of the bunch by experts. They examine vulnerabilities in the full stack of a running application, including its runtime environment and infrastructure” (compared to SAST which don’t know anything about the used third-party and providers like OS, database, etc)

What are some of the more common threats detected by API security testing?

Let’s look at two examples:

1. SQL Injection: This is a code injection technique that is used retrieve information from a database or modifying the data. Attackers will leverage this technique to access, edit or delete data.
   
   Use case A cybercriminal gains unauthorized access to sensitive data and then manipulates financial records and steals customer data.
   
2. Cross-site Scripting (XSS): This is a vulnerability that enables attackers to inject malicious code into a web application or API, so that it is executed on the user’s side.
   
   Use case For example, an attacker may leverage XSS techniques to redirect all the end-user’s data to his own database to steal PII, cookies, or even impersonate the user.

What is the core difference between API penetration testing and API security testing?

There are many intricate differences between these two but the main standouts can be summed up as:

• Penetration testing relies heavily on the knowledge and experience of security experts who can mimic attacker strategies.
• API security testing can involve both automated tools and human expertise, depending on the specific methods used.

Where does API security testing fit into your cybersecurity framework?

We’ve previously shared the main consequences of API exposure over on this blog (as well as plenty of data on the rise of API data breaches in the past 2 years). Amid a rise in exposures, it is business logic to select an API security solution that is reliable and safe to test with, after you’ve identified findings.

Here are some best practices to for your API security testing security posture:

• Continually review potential issues like tampering, unauthorized access, web application security
• Proactively test throughout the development lifecycle
• Detect new vulnerabilities as they emerge in real-time
• Risk profiling and risk assessment is key before you test and prioritize critical areas
• Automated and manual testing: Combine automated tools with manual penetration testing for comprehensive coverage

Here is a typical three part workflow of what the actual process involves

1. Review an intelligence map of the issue using an API Security testing tool. It should pinpoint prioritized threats and avoid false positives.
2. Test the affected assets using your preferred test technique.
3. Discover a full integrated picture of cyber risks and potential vulnerabilities.
4. Resolve, rinse, and repeat if needed

How is API security testing performed at CybelAngel?

Our solution enables customers to launch on-demand DAST scans on an API to uncover potential threats.

Please note
We support API Security Tests for REST and GraphQL APIs only.

Our DAST scans enable customers to uncover additional threats on their APIs. Most of these threats are tied to OWASP Top 10 risks and can only be identified through API security testing.

Not a CybelAngel client but interested in protecting your sensitive data from API exposure? Request a demo today.

We’ve got all types of API resources

API vulnerabilities can feel like a labyrinth for security teams. Explore more security issues and learn more about functionality of API threat detection solutions in our dedicated series.

Here are the API security risks we look at.

1: What is API Security? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
2: API Attacks: Understanding and Protecting Your Infrastructure
3: What are the Key Benefits of API Discovery?
4: API Security and Data Exposure: 8 Principles to Know
5: API Threats and Brand Reputation: Your Top 10 Checklist

Don’t forget about our API Threat Detection Ebook…

Within CybelAngel’s new Ebook, you will also find a condensed overview of everything we cover in our blog series.

Wrapping up: An API security testing F.A.Q. recap

1. Prep for success Define the scope of your API security testing, including endpoints, authentication mechanisms, and potential threats. Set up a testing environment that mirrors your production setup, ensuring you have the necessary tools and resources at hand to test APIs in the best conditions.
2. Select your API test of choice While their are a combination of testing methods, including SAST, DAST, and IAST-you can focus on DAST for its ability to detect runtime vulnerabilities without requiring access to source code.
3. Strategize how you can target run of the mill vulnerabilities Concentrate on identifying and mitigating prevalent threats such as SQL Injection and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection by separating user input from SQL logic, ensuring that any potentially harmful characters are treated as literal values and not executable commands. For XSS prevention, implement input validation, use template engines that automatically escape user input, and employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to block malicious scripts. These vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized data access and manipulation.
4. It’s time to test and monitor! Integrate API security testing throughout the development lifecycle. Regularly review potential issues, detect new vulnerabilities in real-time, and prioritize critical areas based on risk assessments.
5. Analyze and plan your next moves Review the intelligence map provided by your API security testing tool to prioritize threats and avoid false positives. Take immediate action to resolve identified vulnerabilities, and repeat the testing process as necessary to ensure ongoing security.

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