Unpacking API Security from Development to Runtime: Key Insights for Cybersecurity Pros

In today’s fast-paced digital ecosystem, APIs are the lifeblood connecting an ever-growing universe of applications and systems, driving efficiency and agility for modern organizations. But as APIs continue to proliferate, they introduce new risks that cybersecurity teams must navigate with precision and purpose. The Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) has released a new report, “API Security from Development to Runtime” that sheds light on critical trends, challenges, and best practices shaping the landscape of API security. Here’s a look at a few of the report’s compelling insights – each of which underscores why it’s a must-read for cybersecurity professionals.

1. API Explosion: Growth Outpacing Security Preparedness

The report confirms what we’ve been observing for the past few years – the API footprint is expanding at an astonishing rate, with API usage expected to encompass 78% of applications within the next two years. APIs facilitate critical connections, from internal systems to third-party applications and now of course AI workloads, making them high-value targets for attackers. This massive expansion heightens the challenge of monitoring, securing, and controlling APIs, especially as over a one third of APIs connect directly to the internet and another third serve as conduits to other applications. Given the high stakes, this growing reliance on APIs demands a more mature, comprehensive approach to security that begins at development and extends through deployment and runtime. Ideally, an approach that shifts left while protecting right.

Cybersecurity professionals need to be ahead of the game, with strategies that focus on secure-by-design principles, pre-production API testing, continuous monitoring, and real-time threat detection and mitigation. Organizations lacking solid API discovery, inventory, and monitoring protocol leave themselves open to breaches, service disruptions, and regulatory risks as their API landscape expands.

2. API Attacks are Frequent and Costly

While API usage grows, so do the attacks. The report notes that a striking 64% of organizations faced API security incidents in the past year. Common attack types include injection attacks (39%), denial-of-service (DoS) incidents (35%), and data exposure events (34%). Each type of attack highlights different vulnerabilities – DoS attacks disrupt availability, while injection attacks and data exposure compromise sensitive information. What makes API security particularly challenging is the diverse threat landscape: each attack requires a distinct approach for prevention and mitigation. For example, API business logic abuse requires special capabilities to detect, as the APIs are behaving as designed, per specification. Notably, 82% of respondents are concerned about API business logic abuse.

The business impacts of these attacks can be severe. Almost half of the organizations reported increased operational costs, and a third faced compliance issues or brand damage. Negative customer experiences and application downtime round out the list of repercussions, reinforcing the need for cybersecurity teams to approach API security as both a technical and a strategic imperative. Threats are constantly evolving, even taking advantage of AI, requiring security professionals to be agile with tools to match.

3. Collaboration and Training: The Core of a Proactive API Security Strategy

The shift toward DevOps and agile development means that API security isn’t just the security team’s problem; it requires a cross-functional, collaborative approach. The report points to a significant gap in this area, with only half of organizations involving security teams before publishing APIs, and nearly 10% waiting until APIs are live in production. This delay leaves a wide window open for potential vulnerabilities.

To address this, organizations are prioritizing training, with 85% offering formal API security training to development teams. However, the report emphasizes that training alone isn’t enough—cross-functional collaboration must become the norm. Teams across development, operations, and security need consistent engagement throughout the API lifecycle. Improving collaboration not only minimizes security risks but also fosters a culture where secure development is an embedded practice rather than an afterthought.

4. Tools and Budget: Investing in the Right Solutions

API security requires specialized tools that can handle everything from API discovery and inventory to real-time threat prevention and monitoring. Encouragingly, the report shows that organizations are dedicating substantial budget increases to API security, with 52% planning a significant boost in spending. These funds are channeled toward dedicated API security tools, integrated application security solutions, and cloud-native protection platforms. This would appear to signal a shift from a reactive to proactive approach, giving teams the resources to detect and mitigate threats before they impact business operations.

Final Thoughts

API security is at a critical juncture. With API usage skyrocketing and new threats emerging, cybersecurity professionals must adopt a holistic approach that spans the entire API lifecycle. The insights from “API Security from Development to Runtime” provide a comprehensive framework for tackling these challenges, from enhancing collaboration to investing in the right tools and embracing automation. This report is more than an industry overview; it’s a call to action for organizations to fortify their API security strategies and stay ahead of an ever-evolving threat landscape.

If you’re serious about API security, this report is a must-read. It offers an in-depth look at the current state of API security and provides actionable guidance to safeguard your organization’s digital ecosystem. Dive into the full report to arm yourself with the knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex API landscape.