Get up to speed with API security using this comprehensive guide full of best practices for building safer and secure APIs
Key Features

Develop a profound understanding of the inner workings of APIs with a sharp focus on security
Learn the tools and techniques employed by API security testers and hackers, establishing your own hacking laboratory
Master the art of building robust APIs with shift-left and shield-right approaches, spanning the API lifecycle
Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Along with the exponential growth of API adoption comes a rise in security concerns about their implementation and inherent vulnerabilities. For those seeking comprehensive insights into building, deploying, and managing APIs as the first line of cyber defense, this book offers invaluable guidance. Written by a seasoned DevSecOps expert, Defending APIs addresses the imperative task of API security with innovative approaches and techniques designed to combat API-specific safety challenges.

The initial chapters are dedicated to API building blocks, hacking APIs by exploiting vulnerabilities, and case studies of recent breaches, while the subsequent sections of the book focus on building the skills necessary for securing APIs in real-world scenarios.

Guided by clear step-by-step instructions, you'll explore offensive techniques for testing vulnerabilities, attacking, and exploiting APIs. Transitioning to defensive techniques, the book equips you with effective methods to guard against common attacks. There are plenty of case studies peppered throughout the book to help you apply the techniques you're learning in practice, complemented by in-depth insights and a wealth of best practices for building better APIs from the ground up.

By the end of this book, you'll have the expertise to develop secure APIs and test them against various cyber threats targeting APIs.
What you will learn

Explore the core elements of APIs and their collaborative role in API development
Understand the OWASP API Security Top 10, dissecting the root causes of API vulnerabilities
Obtain insights into high-profile API security breaches with practical examples and in-depth analysis
Use API attacking techniques adversaries use to attack APIs to enhance your defensive strategies
Employ shield-right security approaches such as API gateways and firewalls
Defend against common API vulnerabilities across several frameworks and languages, such as .NET, Python, and Java

Who this book is for

This book is for application security engineers, blue teamers, and security professionals looking forward to building an application security program targeting API security. For red teamers and pentesters, it provides insights into exploiting API vulnerabilities. API developers will benefit understanding, anticipating, and defending against potential threats and attacks on their APIs. While basic knowledge of software and security is required to understand the attack vectors and defensive techniques explained in the book, a thorough understanding of API security is all you need to get started.
Table of Contents

What Is API Security?
API Access Control
Understanding Common API Vulnerabilities
Case Studies of Recent Breaches
Foundations of Attacking APIs
Discovering APIs
Attacking APIs
Shift-Left for API Security
Defending against Common Vulnerabilities
Securing Your Frameworks and Languages
Shield-Right for APIs with Runtime Protection
Securing Microservices
Implementing an API Security Strategy