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Don’t Be a Statistic: Proactive API Security in the Age of AI

Your business depends on APIs, which are essential for contemporary digital experiences, encompassing everything from mobile applications and IoT devices to the rapidly evolving AI landscape. With more than 80% of internet traffic now routed through APIs—a number projected to rise significantly due to AI developments—their security is crucial. Unfortunately, this vital infrastructure faces growing attacks, with these threats being a real and current danger to many.

The remarkable increase in such incidents serves as a wake-up call: a majority, 64% of organizations, have encountered an API attack or security breach in just the past year. This widespread threat landscape understandably generates considerable concern regarding the protection of sensitive data.

This worry is felt across various sectors, as 87% of organizations acknowledge their unease about data governance and/or data exposure issues resulting specifically from insecure APIs. A frequent oversight intensifies the issue: many organizations believe they have far fewer APIs than they do, by an underestimated margin of 70-80%. This misjudgment leaves numerous APIs, including shadow or neglected ones, exposed, resulting in a large and often unseen attack surface that could lead to significant data breaches when compromised.

Let’s look at some real-world examples of what’s at stake:

  • Meta (Facebook): In 2018, attackers exploited a vulnerability in Facebook’s “View As” feature, which interacted with the platform’s APIs. This compromised access tokens and exposed the personal data of approximately 29 million users, leading to a hefty €251,000,000 fine.
  • PayPal: In late 2022, cybercriminals exploited weaknesses in PayPal’s systems, potentially involving API vulnerabilities. This breach led to unauthorized access to customers’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, resulting in a $2,000,000 fine.
  • AT&T: A data breach in January 2023 affected 8.9 million AT&T wireless customers. While the specifics of API involvement weren’t fully disclosed, such breaches, especially those involving cloud vendors, freque

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