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APIs connect applications and services to business processes, which makes them useful—and gives attackers more paths to probe. NIST’s SP 800-228, published in 2025 and updated March 13, 2026, frames API security as a lifecycle concern, not a single gateway setting. These ten controls address different parts of that lifecycle.
1. Encrypt traffic and stored data
Use HTTPS with TLS for every API exchange so data is protected while it travels between clients, gateways, and services. Also consider encryption for stored data, including logs and caches where supported. AWS documents encryption in transit for API Gateway control-plane and data-plane operations, along with encrypted log and cache storage.
Encryption limits exposure if traffic is observed in transit or storage is accessed without authorization. It does not decide whether a caller is allowed to make a request, and it cannot make an insecure endpoint or compromised account safe.
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2. Authenticate every caller
Verify who or what is making each request before it reaches a backend integration. Depending on the clients and architecture, authentication can use bearer tokens, JWTs, OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect (OIDC) claims, signed requests, API keys, or client certificates. AWS API Gateway documentation describes JWT/OIDC authorizers, IAM request signing, and mutual TLS as options.
Authentication establishes identity; it does not, by itself, grant permission to every route or operation. Treat API keys as credentials to protect and manage, not as a substitute for authorization or strong identity controls.
3. Authorize each identity, route, and method
After authentication, check whether that identity may perform the requested action on the requested resource. Apply least privilege: grant only the routes, HTTP methods, and operations needed for the caller’s role, and deny access by default where practical. If a credential is misused, narrower permissions limit the actions available to an attacker.
Authorization should be enforced consistently at the gateway and, where needed, within the application. A gateway policy cannot safely replace checks on application-specific ownership or business rules that only the service can evaluate.
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4. Minimize the attack surface
Expose only the routes and connectivity the service requires. Restrict HTTP methods with allowlists, remove unused endpoints, and keep administrative interfaces off public paths. AWS recommends minimum necessary connectivity; OWASP recommends rejecting disallowed HTTP methods.
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Reducing exposed paths gives attackers fewer places to probe, but it does not secure the routes that remain. Review the public surface as APIs change, not just when they are first deployed.
5. Filter common attacks with a WAF
A WAF inspects HTTP or HTTPS requests and can block common patterns, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), before they reach application code. OWASP recommends placing WAF protection in front of APIs, such as at a load balancer or API gateway. AWS similarly describes WAF as a way to inspect and filter HTTP-based traffic for common attacks.
A WAF is a request filter, not a complete API security program. Rules can miss novel or application-specific attacks, and a WAF generally cannot determine whether a request is valid under the API’s full schema or business logic.
6. Validate schemas and input semantics
Validate requests against the API’s expected contract: content type, required fields, data types, lengths, formats, and business constraints. Enforce these rules in API-aware gateway components where available and in application code where the service owns the logic. Reject malformed or unexpected input rather than passing it through.
NIST cautions that a WAF generally cannot assert API-level semantics—for example, whether a name field must be a string shorter than a defined limit. WAF filtering and schema validation therefore solve different problems: use both where appropriate.
7. Throttle abuse and set quotas
Set request limits per client, identity, route, or source IP according to the service’s needs. Return HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) when a caller exceeds its allowed rate, and revoke keys that violate usage agreements. Quotas can also keep runaway clients or compromised credentials from consuming disproportionate resources.
Thresholds must accommodate legitimate peaks as well as ordinary traffic. A limit set too low can block real users; a limit set too high may not meaningfully constrain abuse. Rate limits help availability and cost control, but they do not replace authentication, authorization, or capacity planning.
8. Mitigate DDoS and bot floods
Rate-based WAF rules can block traffic from source IPs that exceed configured thresholds. AWS WAF documentation describes these rules as automatically blocking traffic when it exceeds the thresholds you define. For application-layer DDoS risk, AWS Shield Advanced can add automatic application-layer mitigations.
OWASP describes basic WAF rate limits and route blocks as one layer against DDoS, with advanced managed services chosen according to risk and business criticality. These controls can reduce harmful traffic, but no single rule guarantees that an application will remain available during every attack. Choose mitigation capacity and escalation plans to match the service’s importance and exposure.
9. Log, trace, and alert
Record enough context to investigate a request: request or trace ID, caller and actor metadata, permissions or authorization outcome, route, response status, and security actions such as blocks or throttles. Mask or omit secrets and sensitive personal data; logs that expose credentials create another security risk.
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Build baselines for each environment and alert on meaningful deviations, such as unusual 4xx or 5xx spikes, failed health checks, unexpected resource use, or suspicious writes. Trace IDs let teams connect events across services, turning a scattered set of logs into a more useful incident timeline. Logging supports detection and investigation; it does not prevent an attack on its own.
10. Maintain defense in depth across the API lifecycle
Combine edge filtering, gateway policy, identity controls, application checks, data protections, and infrastructure safeguards. Review API schemas before runtime, patch dependencies, automate secure configuration where possible, and assign cloud-provider and customer responsibilities explicitly.
NIST SP 800-228 organizes API controls across lifecycle stages. AWS recommends applying security at every layer and states that security and compliance are shared responsibilities between AWS and its customers. Managed services can provide security capabilities, but customers remain responsible for their configuration, identity choices, application code, and data access.
Do you need a WAF if you already have an API gateway?
Often, yes—but the answer depends on what the gateway actually does and what risks the application faces. A gateway commonly handles API entry-point functions such as routing, identity integration, and request limits. A WAF adds HTTP request inspection and filtering for common attack patterns. Some platforms offer both capabilities in an integrated service; that does not make the controls interchangeable.
- Use gateway controls for API routing, caller authentication, route- and method-level access, and API-specific throttling where supported.
- Use WAF rules to inspect and filter HTTP requests for common malicious patterns and to apply web-facing rate-based rules.
- Use application validation for schema details, ownership checks, and business rules the gateway or WAF cannot reliably infer.
Verify which features are enabled, where each policy is enforced, and whether requests can reach the application through another path. A gateway with no effective authorization is not a complete shield, and a WAF does not make application-level validation unnecessary.
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How do authentication, rate limiting, and encryption work together?
They address different failure modes. Encryption protects data in transit and, where configured, at rest. Authentication establishes the caller’s identity. Authorization determines what that identity may do. Rate limits constrain how quickly it can make requests. Together, these controls make it harder to intercept data, impersonate a caller, exceed permissions, or overwhelm a service with repeated requests.
Apply the checks in a useful sequence: protect the connection, identify the caller, authorize the requested operation, then enforce appropriate usage limits. An anonymous or unauthenticated endpoint may still need rate limits, while authenticated callers still need quotas and per-operation permissions. No one control makes the others redundant.
Managed service or self-managed controls?
Managed WAFs and API gateways can reduce the operational work of operating the underlying service. Self-managed controls can offer more customization, but the team must handle their maintenance and response. Compare the options against the architecture and the team’s ability to operate them; a product label alone does not show how precisely a policy fits an API.
| Comparison area | Managed WAF or API gateway | Self-managed controls |
|---|---|---|
| Operational effort | Reduces work operating the service itself; configuration and ongoing policy review remain necessary. | Requires the team to operate and maintain the controls, including patching and tuning. |
| Customization | Depends on the provider’s available features and policy model. | Can offer more customization, with corresponding implementation and maintenance work. |
| Policy precision and schema awareness | Verify route, identity, and schema capabilities for the chosen service; WAF filtering alone does not enforce full API semantics. | Can be tailored to an API, but the team must implement and maintain the policies and validation. |
| DDoS protection | Capabilities and scale depend on the service and its configuration; assess whether application-layer mitigation is included. | The team is responsible for designing, operating, and responding to its mitigation controls. |
| Identity and logging | Check supported identity integrations, available request context, and logging options. | The team chooses integrations and logging depth, and must keep them usable and secure. |
| Latency and cost | Not stated as a universal comparison; evaluate the specific service, configuration, and expected traffic. | Not stated as a universal comparison; evaluate the specific design, infrastructure, and operating requirements. |
| Residual risk | Provider-managed infrastructure does not remove customer responsibility for configuration, identity, application code, or data access. | Control ownership remains with the team, which must also be prepared to detect and respond to incidents. |
NIST’s lifecycle approach and AWS’s shared-responsibility guidance point to the same practical test: choose controls the team can configure correctly, monitor, and maintain, then identify what remains outside their coverage.
What is the best way to secure an API?
There is no single best product or universally effective percentage that applies to every API. Build a layered baseline: encrypt exchanges, authenticate and authorize callers, expose only necessary routes, validate requests against the API contract, throttle abuse, filter common attacks, log security-relevant events, and maintain the controls through the API lifecycle. Then prioritize additional managed DDoS protection and monitoring according to the service’s risk and business criticality.
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