API keys have become the standard when consuming an API. API key is some random hash which uniquely identifies the consumer. API keys have numerous benefits over Basic Authentication mechanism.
API key approach is very fast. The ability to prove identity once and move on is very agile, and is why it has been used for many years now as a default approach for many API providers. Additionally, setting up the system itself is quite easy, and controlling these keys once generated is even easier. This also allows systems to purge keys, thereby removing authentication after the fact and denying entry to any system attempting to use a removed key.
For example, to authorize user with API key client would send, Authorization: Bearer Gdak3lfs9fsl3slfksdlf3f#f3fsd@%
e.g. Authorization: Bearer Gdak3lfs9fsl3slfksdlf3f#f3fsd@%
We provide an option to enforce the use of HTTP over SSL in API requests, which transfer your credentials securely.
Validate request parameters on the very first step, before it reaches your API Server. Our strong validation checks blocks the access immediately if input validation fails, which helps to prevent SQL injection and other attacks.
We support the input validation specified by OWASP REST Security guidelines.
Along with other request parameters, we provide option to add a request timestamp as HTTP custom header in API request. The server will compare the current timestamp to the request timestamp, and only accepts the request if it is within the allowed timeframe (60-300 seconds). This will prevent replay attacks from attackers who are trying to brute force your system without changing this timestamp.
We support API requests and responses in signed manner as a added security.
API call with digitally signed requests make sure that API requests are coming from the trusted partner or client.
We protect your APIs with rate-limiting to mitigate distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and protecting the backend applications that process the API calls.