From Safe API Calls to Instant Alerts: Best Practices For Developers

In one of Bitnob’s recent Developer webinars, Vincent Olagbemide, a Senior Engineer at Bitnob, was invited as a speaker to explore the topic 'From Safe API Calls to Instant Alerts: Best Practices For Developers.' The session was packed with valuable insights for developers.

This is why we’re taking a deep dive into his key points. Building reliable software requires a focus on security and efficiency.  Developers often juggle multiple tasks: ensuring the integrity of APIs, making sure data is transferred securely, and maintaining seamless user experiences. However, it's easy to miss the small, detailed steps that are important for making an application strong and reliable.

While API security is the bane of application stability, also being able to respond swiftly to system events through instant alerts is equally important for maintaining control and trustworthiness. In this blog post, we're building on what Vincent shared, exploring why API security matters, the impact of API breaches,  and how developers can ensure they’re building secure, efficient systems. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, these best practices will help you deliver smoother, safer, and more responsive applications. 

Why does API Security Matter?

APIs, which stand for Application programming interfaces, allow different software systems to communicate and share data. We’ll explore why API security matters not just for the developer but also for the company at large. 

Millions in Losses

APIs are often used to transfer sensitive data such as personal information, payment details, or private business data. If an API is compromised, thieves can gain unauthorized access to this data. This can have negative consequences for businesses dealing with financial transactions, healthcare data, or personal data. Regulatory fines for data breaches (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) can reach millions of dollars, resulting in a loss of millions for the business. 

If an API is attacked, e.g, through DDoS attacks, it can cause service disruptions. For businesses that depend on their APIs to provide services (e.g., e-commerce stores, financial institutions), even a few hours of downtime can result in revenue loss.

Compliance Failures

Lots of industries have rules (like GDPR, PCI DSS, or HIPAA) to keep important information safe. If a business's online systems aren't secure, they might accidentally break these rules if that information gets leaked or used the wrong way. Failing to comply with data protection regulations can result in heavy fines, legal action, and even loss of business licenses in extreme cases. It can also be difficult to restore customer trust, especially when it comes to handling financial or health-related information.

Cyber Threat

Cyber threats can lead to data breaches, financial theft, or the total system can be compromised. For example, an attacker could use a vulnerable API to gain access to backend systems, steal data, or disrupt operations. This type of attack can cause long-term damage, cause significant downtime, productivity, customer service, and overall business continuity.

How to Build APIs the Right Way

Building APIs the right way involves several best practices to ensure they are secure, efficient, maintainable, and easy to use.

Use Authentication & Authorization: Implement OAuth2 for securing your API. Use API keys or JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for user authentication and authorization.

Rate Limiting or Throttling: This prevents abuse or DDos attacks. 

Encryption: Always use HTTPS to encrypt sensitive data transmitted between the client and the server.

Input Validation: Validate incoming requests to ensure that the required parameters are provided correctly. Validate and sanitize user inputs to prevent security issues.

Logging and Monitoring: To build APIs the right way, you have to know how to detect abnormalities before they cause harm.  Use tools for continuous testing and monitoring the uptime and performance of your API.

Keep API Keys Secret: Think of API keys like passwords. Don't send them in regular messages (like IM or email) because those aren't secure. Instead, use a tool like onetimesecret.com, which is designed for sharing sensitive information temporarily and securely. 

Scan Your Code Regularly:  Use a tool like Trivy to regularly scan your code for these "weeds" and get rid of them before they cause a "breach" (a security issue). It's crucial now because, as Endor Labs reported, there's a big increase in malicious packages floating around in the software world.

Test Your APIs: Before you use an API, especially one you're not familiar with, test it thoroughly. A tool like Burp Suite can help you do this testing effectively and find any potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities. 

How to Stay Ahead of Threats with Alerts

For true security and efficiency, you need real-time updates. That's where alerts come in. They're like alarms that go off immediately when something goes wrong with your APIs.

Incident Response: They can react quickly to problems.

Debugging: They can pinpoint the source of errors more easily. 

Operational Efficiency: They can prevent small problems from becoming big disasters, saving time and money.

By using a combination of these strategies, you can stay ahead of potential threats, reduce the impact of security breaches, and ensure that your systems are protected. Alerts should act as an early warning system, helping you identify and respond to threats before they escalate into serious incidents.