10 API Security Standards and Protocols You Must Know

What Are API Security Standards and Protocols? 

API security standards and protocols are sets of rules and guidelines designed to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data exchanged between different systems through APIs. 

API standards cover various aspects of security, including authentication, authorization, data encryption, and session management. They ensure that the communication over APIs adheres to a secure framework, preventing unauthorized access and data breaches. 

API protocols define how data is transmitted and secured over the network. They establish a common language and set of procedures that both the sending and receiving ends must follow to ensure secure data exchange. This includes mechanisms for securely exchanging tokens, encrypting messages, and validating identity credentials. 

Together, API security protocols and standards help ensure secure API communication, allowing organizations to safely expose their digital services to external partners and developers.

‍

Why Are API Security Standards and Protocols Important? 

API security standards and protocols provide a structured approach to securing API communications, ensuring that sensitive data is protected from unauthorized access and cyber threats. 

Data breaches are alarmingly common, but these guidelines serve as a defense mechanism, minimizing vulnerabilities in API interactions. By standardizing the way APIs are secured, organizations can confidently facilitate the exchange of information between systems, both internally and with external partners.

Adhering to established API security standards and protocols also fosters trust among users and business partners. It ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to data privacy and security, such as GDPR in Europe or CCPA in California. This compliance helps maintain a positive brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Key API Security Protocols 

Here’s an overview of some of the leading API security protocols.

1. OAuth 2.0 (Open Authorization) 

OAuth 2.0 is widely used for token-based authentication and authorization in APIs. It allows applications to obtain limited access to user accounts on an HTTP service. By using tokens instead of credentials, OAuth 2.0 enables secure access to resources without exposing user passwords. 

This protocol involves several steps: the client application requests authorization from the user, receives an authorization grant, exchanges the grant for an access token, and then uses the token to access the protected resources.

2. Proof Key for Code Exchange (PKCE)

PKCE is an extension of OAuth 2.0 designed to provide enhanced security for public clients, such as mobile and single-page applications, that cannot securely store client secrets. It mitigates the risk of authorization code interception attacks. 

During the OAuth 2.0 authorization flow, PKCE uses a dynamically generated secret (code verifier) and a derived value (code challenge) to ensure that the client requesting the token is the same client that initiated the authorization process.

3. JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) 

JWTs are a compact, URL-safe means of representing claims to be transferred between two parties. They are often used in API authentication and authorization to securely transmit information between clients and servers. 

A JWT consists of three parts: a header, a payload, and a signature. The header specifies the token type and hashing algorithm, the payload contains the claims, and the signature is used to verify the token's integrity. APIs use JWTs to validate user identities and manage sessions securely.

4. Hash-Based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) 

HMAC is a mechanism that combines a cryptographic hash function with a secret key to verify the integrity and authenticity of a message. In API security, HMAC is used to ensure that data has not been tampered with during transmission. 

When a request is made to an API, an HMAC signature is generated using the request data and a shared secret key. The server then recomputes the HMAC on the received data and compares it with the signature to authenticate the request.

5. CBOR Object Signing and Encryption (COSE)

COSE is a standard for signing and encrypting data in the CBOR (Concise Binary Object Representation) format. It provides a compact and efficient way to secure API communications, especially in constrained environments like IoT devices. 

COSE supports various cryptographic algorithms for creating digital signatures and encryption. By using COSE, APIs can ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of exchanged data while keeping message sizes minimal. 

6. X.509 Certificates 

X.509 certificates are used in APIs to implement Transport Layer Security (TLS) for encrypting communications and ensuring secure connections. These certificates contain a public key and the identity of the certificate holder, validated by a trusted certificate authority (CA). 

In API security, X.509 certificates authenticate servers to clients and can also be used for mutual TLS, where both parties verify each other's certificates. This setup helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and ensures that data is encrypted in transit.

Tzvika Shneider

CEO, Pynt

Tzvika Shneider is a 20-year software Security industry leader with a robust background in product and software management.

Tips from the expert

• Integrate API security testing in CI/CD pipelines: Automate security testing for protocols like OAuth 2.0 and JWT within CI/CD pipelines to catch vulnerabilities early.
• Deploy API anomaly detection: Use machine learning-based tools to detect unusual API behavior that could indicate misuse of security protocols like CORS or SCIM.
• Implement dynamic CORS policies: Use dynamic CORS policies to adjust allowed origins based on real-time threat analysis, reducing exposure to cross-origin attacks.
• Use policy-based access controls: Implement policy-based access controls (PBAC) for APIs to dynamically enforce authorization rules, providing granular control over API access.
• Enforce strict API versioning: Version your APIs and enforce security standards at each version, ensuring that older versions are deprecated securely and according to protocol.

Key Security Standards Used by APIs 

Here’s an overview of some of the leading API security standards.

7. Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 

SAML is an open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP).In the context of APIs, SAML is often used to enable Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities. When a user attempts to access an API, the service provider redirects the user to the identity provider for authentication. 

Upon successful authentication, the identity provider sends a SAML assertion to the service provider, which includes the user's identity and authorization details. This allows the user to access the API without re-entering credentials, enhancing security and user experience.

8. System for Cross-Domain Identity Management (SCIM) 

SCIM is a standard designed to simplify the management of user identities across multiple domains or IT systems. APIs use SCIM to automate the provisioning and de-provisioning of user accounts, ensuring that identity information is consistently updated across different platforms. 

When a user is created, modified, or deleted in one system, SCIM can propagate these changes to other connected systems via standardized API calls. This ensures that user identities are synchronized and secure across all systems, reducing administrative overhead and minimizing the risk of outdated or inconsistent access controls. 

9. OpenID Connect (OIDC)

OIDC is an identity layer built on top of the OAuth 2.0 protocol, allowing clients to verify the identity of end users based on the authentication performed by an authorization server. In API security, OIDC is used to provide identity tokens that include user information, such as their identity and authentication details. 

When an API client requests access to a resource, it uses the OIDC identity token to authenticate the user and ensure they have the necessary permissions. This enables secure, scalable, and interoperable authentication for APIs, often used in combination with OAuth 2.0 for comprehensive security.

10. Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) 

CORS is a security standard that allows web applications to make requests to a domain other than the one from which the resource originated. APIs use CORS to specify which domains are permitted to access resources, preventing unauthorized domains from making cross-origin requests that could lead to data leakage or unauthorized actions. 

When a browser makes a cross-origin request, the server responds with CORS headers that indicate whether the request is allowed. This mechanism helps protect APIs from malicious cross-origin attacks, ensuring that only trusted domains can interact with the API.

‍

Choosing the Right Standard and Protocol for Your Needs

To choose the appropriate API security standard and protocol, organizations must understand their specific security requirements, the nature of the data being handled, and the application's architecture. 

For example, if an application has single sign-on (SSO) capabilities across multiple services, implementing standards like SAML or OpenID Connect might be necessary. For securing API access and ensuring data integrity during transmission, protocols like OAuth 2.0 or JWT could be more relevant. For applications operating in constrained environments, such as IoT devices, protocols like COSE that are designed for low overhead are the most suitable. 

Other considerations include compatibility with existing systems and the scalability of the chosen solutions. Adopting widely supported standards ensures smooth integration with a broader range of services and simplifies future expansion efforts. 

Related content: Read our guide to API security best practices

Shift-Left API Security with Pynt

Pynt's approach to API security emphasizes a 'shift-left' methodology to API Security, focusing on early discovery and resolution of vulnerabilities. Implementing security automation and a proactive stance in the software development life cycle allows for:

• Early Detection: Testing Applications for API vulnerabilities as early as possible in the development process, by performing attacks in real-time, thereby reducing potential security risks.
• Leverages functional tests to detect complex business logic scenarios, providing targeted security insights.
• Seamless Integration: Facilitating easy integration with existing development tools and pipelines, enhancing developer productivity without compromising on security.
• Comprehensive API Discovery: Automated discovery of APIs, ensuring complete visibility from development to production, crucial for identifying shadow APIs and other hidden risks.

Learn more in our detailed guide to shadow api

These aspects collectively enhance the overall security posture by addressing API vulnerabilities at their inception, rather than as an afterthought.