Security of APIs and data transferred between systems

Modern business applications communicate with each other via APIs. Integrations between CRMs, ERPs, e-commerce platforms, mobile applications and partner systems rely on continuous data exchange. It is APIs that have become one of the most common targets of attacks today. Lack of adequate protection can lead to data leaks, session hijacking or abuse of resources. Effective API security requires advanced traffic control and threat analysis mechanisms, such as solutions offered by Palo Alto Networks.

Key findings

• APIs are one of the main attack vectors in modern applications

• Traditional firewall does not provide full API protection

• It is necessary to analyze traffic at the application layer (L7)

• Palo Alto Networks enables API protection in cloud and on-premises environments

• Visibility and segmentation reduce the risk of unauthorized access

• Automatic anomaly detection improves defense effectiveness

Table of contents

1. Why APIs have become a key component of IT infrastructure

2. The most common threats to APIs

3. Limitations of traditional protection mechanisms

4. How API protection works from Palo Alto Networks

5. Data security in inter-system traffic

6. FAQ

7. Summary

Why APIs have become a key component of IT infrastructure

API (Application Programming Interface) enables real-time data exchange between systems. With the API, companies can:

• integrate SaaS applications

• build microservices

• automate business processes

• share functionality with partners and customers

However, each exposed API is a potential entry point for an attacker. In hybrid and multi-cloud environments, the number of interfaces grows, increasing the attack surface.

The most common threats to APIs

Among the most common threats are:

• injection attacks (SQL, command injection)

• unauthorized access to endpoints

• seizure of authentication tokens

• excessive permissions (over-permissioned APIs)

• DDoS attacks on the application layer

• data exfiltration via API

Often, threats arise not from the application code itself, but from misconfiguration or lack of visibility of API traffic.

Limitations of traditional protection mechanisms

Classic firewalls filter traffic based on IP addresses and ports, however:

• do not analyze API query logic

• do not verify the JSON/XML structure

• do not detect anomalies in user behavior

• do not provide full protection in a cloud environment

Therefore, API protection requires NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall) class tools, WAFs and solutions that analyze application traffic in real time.

How API protection works from Palo Alto Networks

Solutions Palo Alto Networks provide advanced protection for APIs and data transferred between systems by:

• traffic analysis at the application layer (L7)

• identification of applications regardless of port and protocol

• user- and context-based access control

• Integration with WAF and protection against zero-day threats

• segmentation of traffic between microservices

With full visibility of API traffic, it is possible to detect unauthorized calls, suspicious query patterns and data exfiltration attempts.

Data security in inter-system traffic

API protection is not only about access control, but also about securing data in transit. The key elements are:

• communication encryption (TLS)

• inspection of encrypted traffic

• control of tokens and OAuth mechanisms

• monitoring of anomalies in application behavior

Palo Alto Networks enables central management of security policies in both on-premise and public cloud environments to ensure consistency of protection.

FAQ

Does the API require separate protection?
Yes – APIs are a separate attack vector that requires dedicated analysis and control of application traffic.

Is TLS encryption sufficient?
No – encryption protects the transmission, but does not detect logical abuse or application attacks.

Does API protection slow down the application?
Modern solutions minimize the impact on productivity through intelligent traffic analysis.

Summary

Security of APIs and data transferred between systems is one of the key areas of modern cyber security. The increase in the number of integrations increases the attack surface, so traditional protection mechanisms are insufficient. Palo Alto Networks’ solutions enable application traffic analysis, access control and environment segmentation, providing comprehensive API protection in hybrid and cloud architectures.