The DART strategy for API security

Modern applications are highly interconnected. Just as the internet dramatically increased the value of a single computer, distributed applications have created far more powerful and useful software.

These applications interoperate through documented Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) coded to open their functions and data to other applications.

The adoption of cloud-native, distributed applications has accelerated reliance on APIs. Today, by some estimates, API calls represent more than 80 percent of all web traffic. Since they provide direct access to critical services and data, APIs have become a rich target for hackers.

As enterprises continue their digital transformation journey, it is critical for security leaders to take into account how the modernization of their infrastructure, applications and services necessitates a modernization of API management and security.

Just as the definition of cloud security and application security continues to shift in significance and scope, security needs to be updated for the modern, API-based world.

Modern API security requires a holistic approach. This can be easily characterized using a simple strategy NoName Security calls DART.

A DART approach involves the following elements: 

• Discover all APIs across the environment, including rogue and shadow APIs
• Analyze detected API attacks, suspicious behavior, and misconfigurations
• Remediate to prevent security breaches and data loss, and integrate with existing management solutions
• Test APIs before production and after deployment

This guide will introduce the DART strategy and explain how an API security platform should support it.