Few industries move at the pace we’ve seen in the API sector in recent years. Cloudflare reported that 57% of internet traffic was API requests in 2024. Nor is the growth just in volume – the way APIs are used is evolving rapidly. Gartner, for example, recently projected that over 30% of the increase in demand for APIs by 2026 will come from AI and tools using large language models.
As the API landscape innovates at pace, the way we approach API security and governance needs to keep up. A decade ago, we were all talking about security and governance for RESTful and legacy SOAP APIs. Then came GraphQL, and now, async APIs are opening up an array of possibilities for event-driven architectures.
With these exciting new use cases and opportunities come unique challenges. Read on to explore not only how you can keep abreast of these challenges but also how the right security solutions enable you to evolve your API landscape while still sleeping peacefully at night.
Why is keeping up with API security so crucial?
Obviously, APIs need to be secure. It’s essential for keeping your systems and data safe. It also ensures you can meet your compliance obligations and keep regulators happy. Robust security and governance also help guard against the reputational and financial damage associated with data breaches and other incidents.
However, keeping up with security solutions as the API landscape becomes more complex, delivers more than these benefits alone. When you are confident in your API security, you’re in a strong position to iterate and get new products to market faster. Your business can grow, flex and change direction as required to keep up with shifts in demand and get to market ahead of the competition. This is where future-proofing your API security can significantly underpin opportunities for growth.
The challenges of API security in complex environments
Different types of APIs and different use cases present their own distinct challenges. GraphQL security, for example, presents unique vulnerabilities that those who’ve previously only dealt with REST API security need to learn to solve.
Then there’s the added complexity of async APIs and event-driven architectures. Adding these into the mix presents enterprises with powerful new ways of delivering services. It also means that many are now dealing with different API types and integrations, including custom bridging solutions to facilitate the use of Kafka and other event-streaming platforms and brokers.
Every new element added to such architectures is another potential point of weakness in security terms. The array of different components also provides plenty of scope for inconsistent management, which can quickly result in security and compliance risks. The sheer complexity of such architectures also increases the potential for human error.
More complex architectures are also harder to observe, with poor insights into API usage hindering decision-making and user experience optimization. This lack of full visibility is another flaw that enterprises must deal with if their security is to be powerful enough to be future-facing as the API industry continues to evolve.
Then, there’s the cost element to consider. Securing APIs across diverse systems not only risks vulnerabilities from inconsistent implementations but is also costly. And navigating stringent compliance standards like GDPR, PCI, or HIPAA is resource-intensive, prone to errors and stressful.
That’s a whole bunch of challenges. But don’t despair – there is a solution…
Tackling complex API security requirements head-on
This is the point at which we wave the flag for API management with Tyk. Our unified platform delivers a centralized governance and security solution that spans everything from legacy APIs, through RESTful and GraphQL implementations, to the latest async API technology. You can use pre-built templates, centralized control and automated audits, to ensure compliance without slowing innovation, while robust security features such as rate limiting, authorization modes and instant patching reduce downtime and boost confidence.
Added to this are Tyk’s advanced analytics, providing real-time monitoring, anomaly detection and actionable insights. These can help flag up potential security incidents at the earliest stage, while also supporting enhanced performance and customer satisfaction. The Tyk layer provides a central point of visibility and insight into the enterprise API landscape, covering all APIs, all protocols and all vendors in one place. It means you can see everything and secure everything consistently – including implementing centralized security for Kafka.
When you implement federated governance that shows overall API usage, compliance awareness and management, you benefit from detailed activity and audit logging for superior risk mitigation. This further supports robust security across even the most complex architectures, with proactive management across your Tyk stack and other vendors.
Keen to know more? If you’re serious about future-proofing your API security, dive into our authentication and security insights hub.
