API security refers to the practice of protecting APIs from attacks that would maliciously use or attempt to exploit an API to steal sensitive data or disrupt services. APIs work as the backend framework for systems and services, and they transfer sensitive data, including access information such as authentication, authorization, input validation, and encryption. Therefore, it is critical to secure APIs to protect the sensitive data they transfer. API security employs strategies, techniques, and solutions to ensure that only authorized users can access and use an API and that the data transmitted through the API is protected from unauthorized access or manipulation.

API security involves securing data transferred through APIs, typically between clients and servers connected over public networks. It covers the APIs you own, as well as the ones you use indirectly. API security is a key component of modern web application security, and it may have vulnerabilities like broken authentication and authorization, lack of rate limiting, and injection attacks. Common types of API attacks include denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, access violations, bot attacks, and abuse.

To identify weak points in the API lifecycle, you can look for specific vulnerabilities, such as broken authentication and authorization, lack of rate limiting, and injection attacks. Here are some of the most common ways you can strengthen your API security:

• Use tokens. Establish trusted identities and then control access to services and resources by using tokens assigned to those identities.
• Use encryption and signatures. Encrypt your data using a method like TLS. Require signatures to ensure that the right users are decrypting and modifying your data, and no one else.
• Use an API gateway. API gateways act as the major point of enforcement for API traffic.

In summary, API security is the process of protecting APIs from attacks that would maliciously use or attempt to exploit an API to steal sensitive data or disrupt services. It involves securing data transferred through APIs, typically between clients and servers connected over public networks. To strengthen API security, you can use tokens, encryption and signatures, and an API gateway.