APIs are the primary target for modern cyber threats. As microservices and public endpoints proliferate, enforcing defense-in-depth API security controls is paramount to protect sensitive business data and infrastructure.
1. Mitigate Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA / IDOR)
BOLA remains the #1 vulnerability on the OWASP API Security Top 10. It occurs when an API endpoint exposes an object identifier without verifying if the authenticated identity owns or is authorized to access that specific object.
2. Secure JWT Token Verification & Rotation
When using JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for stateless authorization, adhere strictly to security validation steps on every incoming request:
- Enforce strict cryptographic signature algorithms (RS256, ES256, or EdDSA). Explicitly reject alg: 'none'.
- Verify token claims: iss (Issuer), aud (Audience), exp (Expiration time), and nbf (Not Before).
- Store token signing keys in Key Management Services (KMS) and rotate public keys via JWKS URIs automatically.
- Keep access token lifespans short (15 minutes or less) and use cryptographically bound refresh tokens.
3. Enforce Rate Limiting & Resource Throttling
Prevent Denial of Service (DoS) and brute-force key attacks by implementing sliding-window rate limiters at the API Gateway level based on authenticated identity (IP, API Key, or User ID).
components:
securitySchemes:
BearerAuth:
type: http
scheme: bearer
bearerFormat: JWT
description: Enter RS256 signed bearer access token
ApiKeyAuth:
type: apiKey
in: header
name: X-API-Key
security:
- BearerAuth: []Scan OpenAPI Spec for Security Holes
Inspect your API specification for unauthenticated endpoints, exposed admin parameters, missing HTTPS schemes, and weak security definitions.