APIs are becoming a major target for credential stuffing attacks

APIs are becoming a major target for credential stuffing attacks

New data from security and content delivery company Akamai shows that one in every five attempts to gain unauthorized access to user accounts is now done through application programming interfaces (APIs) instead of user-facing login pages. This trend is even more pronounced in the financial services industry where the use of APIs is widespread and in part fueled by regulatory requirements.

[ Learn why you need an API security program, not a piecemeal approach. | Get the latest from CSO by signing up for our newsletters. ]

According to a report released today, between December 2017 and November 2019, Akamai observed 85.4 billion credential abuse attacks against companies worldwide that use its services. Of those attacks, around 16.5 billion, or nearly 20%, targeted hostnames that were clearly identified as API endpoints. However, in the financial industry, the percentage of attacks that targeted APIs rose sharply between May and September 2019, at times reaching 75%.

To read this article in full, please click here



Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.