The OWASP API Security Top 10 are mitigated in the development of web APIs.
Ensure APIs implement safeguards against excessive or automated abuse of critical business functions to prevent financial loss or service disruption. For example, enforce rate limiting and throttling on sensitive transactions such as purchases, account registrations, or content submissions to prevent automated exploitation; Implement CAPTCHA, authentication, or step-up verification for high-impact actions to deter bot-driven abuse; Monitor API usage patterns and anomalies to detect and mitigate excessive or fraudulent interactions; Regularly assess business logic vulnerabilities to identify flows that could be exploited at scale.
Ensure mitigation strategies address both business risks and technical protections to prevent automated threats and excessive API usage. For example, identify business flows vulnerable to abuse, such as rapid purchases, automated registrations, or bulk data extraction, and implement appropriate security controls; Apply device fingerprinting to block unexpected client devices, making it costlier for attackers to bypass security; Use human detection methods, such as CAPTCHAs or biometric-based authentication, to differentiate between real users and bots; Detect non-human behavioral patterns by analyzing usage anomalies (e.g., completing multiple transactions in unrealistically short timeframes); Restrict access to developer and B2B APIs, which are often targeted due to weaker security implementations; Consider blocking traffic from Tor exit nodes and known proxy networks to prevent attackers from hiding their identities; Continuously refine security measures to balance usability with strong protections against automated threats.
| ID | Operation | Description | Phase | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSS-02-15-06-01-01 | Identify sensitive business flows | Identify the critical business flows (e.g., purchasing tickets, posting comments) that could negatively impact the business if excessively used, particularly in an automated manner. | Preparation | Product Managers, Business Analysts |
| SSS-02-15-06-01-02 | Implement business-level mitigations | Develop a mitigation plan at the business level, ensuring that high-risk business flows are carefully managed to prevent abuse or overuse. | Development | Security Engineers, Product Managers |
| SSS-02-15-06-01-03 | Apply protection mechanisms for automation mitigation | Implement protection mechanisms such as device fingerprinting, human detection (e.g., CAPTCHA or biometric solutions), and analysis of user behavior patterns to slow down automated threats. | Development | Security Engineers, Software Developers |
| SSS-02-15-06-01-04 | Analyze and block non-human patterns | Use behavioral analysis to detect non-human patterns, such as rapid interactions with "add to cart" and "complete purchase" functions. Implement throttling and blocking mechanisms when suspicious patterns are detected. | Development | Security Engineers, Backend Developers |
| SSS-02-15-06-01-05 | Secure b2b and machine-consumed apis | Restrict and secure access to APIs consumed by machines (e.g., B2B APIs) by enforcing stricter authentication, rate-limiting, and security measures to prevent automated abuse. | Deployment | API Developers, IT Operations |
| Industry framework | Academic work | Real-world case |
|---|---|---|
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Information Security Manual (ISM-1851) OWASP Top 10 API Security Risk OWASP Top 10 API Security Risk |