In 2025, APIs are the backbone of digital interactions, connecting services and enabling seamless data exchange. However, this widespread adoption has also led to a surge in API-related security incidents. A recent report highlights that 57% of organizations experienced an API-related data breach in the past two years, with 41% enduring five or more breaches. This underscores the pressing need for robust API security measures. businesswire.com
One of the most critical vulnerabilities is Broken Object Level Authorization (BOLA), where attackers manipulate object IDs in API calls to access unauthorized data. This flaw remains the most significant API-specific vulnerability, emphasizing the importance of stringent access controls. riskinsightshub.com Additionally, the rise of generative AI introduces new risks, with 65% of organizations acknowledging that AI applications pose a serious to extreme threat to API security. Concerns include expanded attack surfaces and potential data leakage through API calls. traceable.ai
To mitigate these risks, developers should implement several best practices. First, adopting OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect protocols can enhance authentication and authorization processes, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access. apimantra.ai Regularly auditing API access controls ensures that permissions are correctly assigned and maintained. prophaze.com Employing input validation techniques, such as parameterized queries and prepared statements, can prevent injection attacks by sanitizing user inputs. apimantra.ai Additionally, implementing rate limiting and throttling mechanisms helps protect APIs from denial-of-service attacks by controlling the number of requests from clients. prophaze.com