How penetration testing bolsters API safety

Final yr, Gartner predicted that API assaults would develop into the most-frequent assault vector in 2022. Whereas it stays unclear whether or not that is the case, when contemplating that the exploitation of Twitter’s API vulnerability uncovered the information of 5.4 million customers, it’s clear they’re devastatingly efficient. 

In an try to assist safety groups tackle these threats, in the present day, cybersecurity startup Wib introduced the launch of what it claims is the trade’s first API PenTesting-as-a-service (PTaaS), which is designed to check for software safety, API, and enterprise logic vulnerabilities. 

Wib just lately introduced elevating $16 million in funding and allows customers to generate an entire stock of APIs, generate documentation, and improve visibility over the assault floor. 

On this occasion, penetration testing supplies safety groups with a extra correct view of their group’s API safety posture to allow them to determine and mitigate potential entry factors earlier than cybercriminals can exploit them. 

Taking part in catchup with API safety

The announcement comes as assaults on APIs proceed to extend, with analysis exhibiting that 94% of organizations have skilled safety issues in manufacturing APIs. 

To make issues worse, many safety groups are at the hours of darkness about how to reply to these threats, with 61% missing any API safety technique or having solely a primary plan. 

The reality is that many organizations are enjoying catchup with API safety after embracing cloud computing and microservices. 

“Most of those blind spots are uncovered as corporations embrace an API-first methodology and shift to a microservice-based structure, which adjustments their assault surfaces, however their defenses weren’t designed for this construction and haven’t but advanced to cowl it,” mentioned Chuck Herrin, CTO of Wib. “Adoption at all times outpaces safety, and this time is not any completely different. What’s completely different this time is that API site visitors is already 91% of internet site visitors, whereas most defenders are blind to APIs as an assault vector,” Herrin mentioned. 

By providing a purpose-built penetration testing service, Wib supplies organizations with entry to the experience and applied sciences they should detect API-level threats. 

After every take a look at, safety groups obtain a full evaluation report of recognized vulnerabilities alongside a danger severity rating primarily based on NIST’s cyber matrix calculator and a remediation highway map plan with suggestions on the best way to mitigate vulnerabilities. 

Reviewing the API safety market

Wib is only one of many suppliers within the world API safety market, which researchers valued at $783.9 million in 2021 and anticipate will attain a price of $984.1 million in 2022. 

The group is competing in opposition to a spread of opponents out there together with Salt Safety, which raised $140 million in collection D funding earlier this yr, and gives a synthetic intelligence (AI) and machine studying (ML)-driven platform for inventorying APIs and uncovered information with OAS evaluation capabilities. 

One other important competitor is NoName Safety, an API safety platform that identifies vulnerabilities and misconfigurations whereas offering safety groups with automated detection and response capabilities. NoName Safety most just lately raised $135 million as a part of a collection C funding spherical in December 2021. 

Nevertheless, Herrin argues that WIB’s versatile penetration testing strategy and lack of reliance on API site visitors to identify threats is what differentiates it from these present instruments. 

“Each of those “unicorns” deal with a manufacturing traffic-based view, which is a helpful lens, however is inadequate to search out blind spots like zombie APIs (APIs uncovered however with no regular site visitors) or APIS that don’t talk throughout anticipated site visitors paths,” Herrin mentioned.