Secure Your API With These 16 Practices With Apache APISIX (Part 2)

Last week, we listed 16 practices to help secure one’s APIs and described how to implement them with Apache APISIX.

1. Authentication: Verifies the identity of users accessing APIs.
2. Authorization: Determines permissions of authenticated users.
3. Data Redaction: Obscures sensitive data for protection.
4. Encryption: Encodes data so only authorized parties can decode it.
5. Error Handling: Manages responses when things go wrong, avoiding revealing sensitive info.
6. Input Validation and Data Sanitization: Checks input data and removes harmful parts.
7. Intrusion Detection Systems: Monitor networks for suspicious activities.
8. IP Whitelisting: Permits API access only from trusted IP addresses.
9. Logging and Monitoring: Keeps detailed logs and regularly monitors APIs.
10. Rate Limiting: Limits user requests to prevent overload.
11. Secure Dependencies: Ensures third-party code is free from vulnerabilities.
12. Security Headers: Enhances site security against types of attacks like XSS.
13. Token Expiry: Regularly expiring and renewing tokens prevents unauthorized access.
14. Use of Security Standards and Frameworks: Guides your API security strategy.
15. Web Application Firewall: Protects your site from HTTP-specific attacks.
16. API Versioning: Maintains different versions of your API for seamless updates.

This week, we will look at the remaining practices.