API keys: Weaknesses and security best practices | TechTarget (2024)

FAQs

API keys: Weaknesses and security best practices | TechTarget? ›

API keys are generally not considered secure; they are typically accessible to clients, making it easy for someone to steal an API key. Once the key is stolen, it has no expiration, so it may be used indefinitely, unless the project owner revokes or regenerates the key.

API keys are generally not considered secure; they are typically accessible to clients, making it easy for someone to steal an API key. Once the key is stolen, it has no expiration, so it may be used indefinitely, unless the project owner revokes or regenerates the key.

Lack of user context: API keys do not provide user-specific authentication, making it challenging to track and manage individual user access. This limitation can be problematic in scenarios where user-level authorization is required.

How often should you rotate API keys? As a best practice, you should rotate API keys at least every 90 days.

A good practice is to systematically create two keys for any API, a primary and a secondary. By implementing this pattern, it is possible to rotate the two keys in two steps without getting any errors.

Restrict your API keys to be used by only the IP addresses, referrer URLs, and mobile apps that need them: By restricting the IP addresses, referrer URLs, and mobile apps that can use each key, you can reduce the impact of a compromised API key.

They should be hashed and/or encrypted first before being stored. This would ensure the keys cannot be used, even if someone malicious gained access to your database. Encryption and hashing are both ways to transform data into a series of different characters for security purposes.

What is the weakness of API? ›

APIs can be vulnerable to a wide range of security risks, which can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and other forms of abuse. Why hackers love APIs: Hackers love APIs because they often hold the keys to a lot of valuable information. If not properly secured, APIs can potentially expose sensitive data.

If you suspect that your API key may be compromised, we recommend revoking the key immediately. You can do so by logging into your Anthropic account, going to the API keys page from your profile, clicking the meatball menu (i.e. the three horizontal dots) next to the key in question, and selecting 'Delete API Key. '

Luckily, there's APIs with zero authentication requirements. An API without a key is perfect for beginners and web developers looking to access sample data sets for their apps without restrictions.

Client-side API keys can access only a limited set of Iterable's API endpoints. However, since you can't prevent malicious users from accessing API keys stored in client-side code, it's a best practice to require JWT authentication for client-side API key, since it provides an additional layer of security.

API Key Best Practices

Key Length: An API key is generally more secure if it is longer. You can consider using a key length of about 32 characters, as it is more difficult for attackers to guess. Rate Limiting: Rate limiting can help to prevent the abuse of your API.

API keys should be rotated to ensure that data cannot be accessed with an old key that might have been lost, cracked, or stolen. 'Regenerating Key' may break existing client connectivity as the client will try to connect with older API keys they have stored on devices.

Don't share API keys through email. Always use HTTPS/SSL for your API requests — some APIs won't field your request if you're not using it.

Do not store API keys in files inside your application's source tree: If you store API keys in files, keep the files outside your application's source tree to help ensure your keys do not end up in your source code control system.

It is used in the transfer of information between computers. It uses XML signatures and Security Assertion Markup (SAML) tokens to authenticate and authorize messages that get transferred. In this way, it provides API keys that prevent attackers from gaining access.