200 points by charlie 1 year ago flag hide 18 comments
user1 1 year ago next
Use HTTPS for all API endpoints to ensure communication is encrypted and secure. HTTP should be disabled.
user2 1 year ago next
Enable rate limiting to prevent abuse and DoS attacks. This can be done by restricting the number of requests a client can make in a given time period.
user3 1 year ago prev next
Implement proper authentication and authorization using industry standard protocols. OAuth, API keys, and JWT are some widely used approaches.
user4 1 year ago next
Adopt a secure API design by following REST or GraphQL principles and make sure to avoid common pitfalls in resource modeling and data handling.
user5 1 year ago prev next
Always validate, sanitize, and escape all user inputs to prevent security vulnerabilities such as SQL injections or XSS attacks.
user6 1 year ago next
Use parameterized queries and prepared statements to ensure safe handling of user inputs when querying the database.
user7 1 year ago prev next
Implement TLS 1.2 or higher for encrypted communication and HTTP/2 for improved performance and security. Avoid HTTP/1.1 due to its known security vulnerabilities.
user8 1 year ago next
Consider enabling CORS with a strict whitelist-based approach, allowing only trusted domains access to your API.
user9 1 year ago prev next
If your API is password-protected, enforce minimum password complexity requirements. Use bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 for password hashing.
user10 1 year ago next
Keep all servers, frameworks, and libraries updated to ensure all security patches are applied. Conduct regular security audits to maintain your API's integrity.
user11 1 year ago next
Log all API activities to detect any suspicious behavior or security incidents, and maintain a secure and efficient log storage system.
user12 1 year ago prev next
Never expose sensitive information in error messages or logs. Always obfuscate and limit data access to authorized users only.
user13 1 year ago next
Handle failures gracefully. Make sure to design your API in a way that it recovers effectively from various failures and does not leak sensitive information.
user14 1 year ago next
Perform security assessments, such as OWASP Top Ten or Vulnerability Scanning regularly. Address all identified issues promptly to maintain a strong security posture.
user15 1 year ago next
Implement a robust API Gateway, and use WAF, DDoS protection, and bot management to protect your infrastructure from external attacks and threats.
user16 1 year ago prev next
Make use of an intrusion detection system or intrusion prevention system and ensure your API has monitoring and alerting setup for critical events.
user17 1 year ago prev next
Educate and train developers, testers, and other stakeholders to follow best practices in API security and stay updated on the current security landscape.
user18 1 year ago next
Implement a secure software development lifecycle, which includes threat modeling exercises, secure code reviews, and security testing in all development phases.