Lessons Learned from 2022’s Biggest API Breaches

Read full article here: https://corsha.com/blog/2022-api-attacks/?source=nhimg

APIs have become the backbone of digital business, powering everything from customer apps to machine-to-machine workflows. But as the number of APIs has exploded, so has their value as an attack vector. By 2022, Gartner’s prediction came true: API attacks officially became the most common entry point for breaches.

Several high-profile incidents underscored just how costly poorly protected APIs can be:

• Twitter’s Zero-Day Leak exposed data from 5.5M users, reminding us that patching vulnerabilities isn’t enough. Every API call must validate identity, ideally with multi-factor checks.

• Dropbox’s API Key Exposure highlighted the dangers of static secrets and third-party integrations. Without machine MFA, anyone with the right key can impersonate a trusted identity.

• Uber’s Insider Compromise showed how hard-coded credentials can fuel privilege escalation. Even contractors with partial access can become a threat if secrets aren’t secured.

The Bigger Lesson

Static secrets and bearer tokens are no longer sufficient. Attackers move faster than traditional defenses, and insider risks blur the line between “trusted” and “untrusted.”

Machine Identity MFA is emerging as the missing piece. By applying continuous, context-aware verification to every API call, organizations can:

• Shut down credential theft at the source
• Eliminate reliance on static secrets
• Enforce zero trust across human and non-human identities

API breaches will continue making headlines but with the right strategy, they don’t have to include yours.