API Pentest

Software development isn't what it used to be. It once relied on big black boxes that did all the work, whereas today software is broken down into microservices that are much easier to develop, test, and manage, and that can scale on demand. These applications generally expose public APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) so they can be used easily and integrated with other tools or software.

Like other digital products, these APIs represent an open surface that is prone to various forms of attack. Businesses that care about security absolutely must make sure these APIs are part of their security testing, such as pentests, audits, risk assessments, vulnerability assessments, and so on. However, by their very nature, pentesting can prove more complex, since the usual tools don't necessarily adapt very well to their modular surface. You have to avoid falling back on manual pentest scans and scripts, which slows down pentest velocity and leaves undiscovered risks.

The preferred approach is instead to fully understand the tools the team has at its disposal and to assess whether there are gaps in scanning microservices, B2B connectors, and mobile APIs. While scanning these attack surfaces is essential, discovering them is even more important. These APIs don't necessarily use the HTTP protocol and are often decoupled. They are frequently built on frameworks such as gRPC, Thrift, and others. To carry out a quality audit, it's important to adapt our pentest tools to perform both unauthenticated and authenticated scans.

You therefore also have to think about obtaining the authentication token or credentials and ensuring the security of these AAA sources.

In short, microservice and API testing fits into your security processes, and to increase the ROI on investments you've already made, it's important to make the necessary adjustments to both methodologies and tools.

MMO Techno stands out for its holistic, quality-focused approach. Contact us to learn more.