Why API sprawl is important and what you can do to mitigate it

What are shadow APIs?

Shadow APIs, sometimes referred as rogue APIs, are the APIs that exist and operate outside a company’s IT governance, management, and security frameworks. Shadow APIs are often created when developers bypass controls in order to release, update or deprecate APIs more quickly. For instance, a developer quickly builds and deploys an API to fix an immediate problem or a bug causing massive UX disruption or create an unauthorized or unrecognized API as proof of concept for a future project.

Whatever the reason, quickly deploying an API to accomplish an immediate task might be easy, but often translates to serious security concerns. In many ways, shadow APIs brings with them many of the similar challenges created by shadow IT. As security teams cannot protect the assets that are not properly documented, the shadow APIs lack proper security testing, monitoring, and protection. If an API endpoint has not been secured, it becomes a glaring vulnerability in a company’s tech scape, providing scope for attackers to leverage the vulnerable endpoints for conducting cyberattack.

Often, APIs deployed without the knowledge of security personnel tend to have vulnerabilities or misconfigurations, making it easier for third parties to steal enterprise data or compromise critical assets. Sometimes, shadow APIs are just formerly managed APIs copied to support other data paths without being documented. If attackers access older, unpatched API endpoints like these, they can easily infiltrate other services or trigger account takeovers.