Secure API Design Patterns

Implementing security-first design patterns is crucial for building resilient APIs that can withstand evolving threats while maintaining performance and usability.

API Gateway Patterns

Centralized Security Enforcement

• Single point of security policy enforcement
• Authentication and authorization at the gateway
• Rate limiting and throttling controls
• Request/response transformation and validation

API Gateway Security Features

• SSL/TLS termination and encryption
• Web Application Firewall (WAF) integration
• DDoS protection and traffic filtering
• Comprehensive logging and monitoring

Data Protection Patterns

Encryption in Transit

• TLS 1.3 for all API communications
• Certificate pinning for mobile applications
• End-to-end encryption for sensitive data
• Perfect forward secrecy implementation

Encryption at Rest

• Database-level encryption
• Field-level encryption for sensitive data
• Key management and rotation strategies
• Hardware security module (HSM) integration

Input Validation and Sanitization

Schema Validation

• OpenAPI specification enforcement
• JSON schema validation
• Parameter type and format checking
• Required field validation

Input Sanitization Techniques

• SQL injection prevention
• Cross-site scripting (XSS) protection
• Command injection mitigation
• File upload security controls

Error Handling and Information Disclosure

Secure Error Responses

• Generic error messages for security failures
• Detailed logging for internal analysis
• Prevention of information leakage
• Consistent error response formats