Executive Summary
In today’s interconnected digital world, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) play a crucial role in enabling data exchange and service integration across organizations. As their usage expands, APIs are increasingly becoming targets for cyberattacks, especially when they are publicly exposed. Traditional security solutions like firewalls and VPNs struggle to effectively secure APIs, leaving companies vulnerable to breaches that can result in costly data losses and compliance issues.
NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution addresses these challenges by removing APIs from public internet exposure. This innovative approach leverages a software-based overlay network, embedding zero trust principles without relying on traditional security models. This white paper explores the nature of API vulnerabilities, the limitations of current solutions, and how NetFoundry’s solution enables centralized, secure, and high-performance API connectivity. By eliminating the need for VPNs, firewalls, and manual security management, businesses can better protect their API traffic and streamline their security infrastructure.
Secure API Connections
API Security Evolution
Why We Need Zero Trust API Security
B2B VPNs have served as the backbone of secure access for MSPs. Yet, as digital demands grow, VPNs present challenges that impede their ability to support the modern security needs of MSPs:
Security Vulnerabilities
VPNs operate on perimeter-based models, often granting broad network access. This allows lateral movement, increasing exposure to cyber threats. NetFoundry’s AppNets revolutionize this by eliminating the network connection entirely—attackers can’t exploit what they can’t reach.
Operational Complexity
Configuring VPNs across multiple clients requires managing IP allow lists, firewall rules, and individual VPN connections. AppNets replace these with outbound-only, zero-trust microsegmentation, significantly reducing administrative burden by simplifying connectivity across environments.
Performance Bottlenecks
VPNs use point-to-point connections that can become bottlenecks, impacting performance and user experience. AppNets, by contrast, provide a full-mesh overlay network with end-to-end control, minimizing latency and maintaining high-performance connectivity, even under heavy loads.
Compliance and Audit Limitations
Regulatory demands like GDPR and HIPAA require granular access control and audit trails. B2B VPNs fall short here, as they lack session-specific controls. AppNets provide session-level permissions and detailed logging, enhancing MSPs’ ability to maintain compliance.
Problem Statement
Modern APIs are particularly vulnerable due to a combination of factors:
- Public Exposure: APIs are often publicly accessible, making them easy targets for attacks. Traditional security methods leave open doors that attackers can exploit, such as exposed IPs or endpoints.
- Unique Configurations: APIs are often customized, creating unique “snowflake” configurations that require specific protections. This uniqueness makes it challenging to apply a one-size-fits-all security approach, increasing the likelihood of vulnerabilities.
- Rapid Updates: APIs evolve quickly, and development teams constantly push new updates to maintain functionality or add features. This rapid pace makes it difficult for security teams to keep up, often resulting in unpatched vulnerabilities.
- Operational Complexity: Traditional security measures for APIs require extensive patching, monitoring, and configuration management. This complexity drains IT resources and increases the risk of human error.
Real-world examples reveal the impact of API vulnerabilities (See OWASO Top 10 API Security Risks). In recent years, several high-profile breaches have exposed sensitive data through poorly secured APIs, resulting in significant financial and reputational damages (8 Significant Recent API Breaches). These incidents underscore the need for a new approach to API security.
API Vulnerabilities
Protect your APIs from exposure, complexity, and rapid updates. NetFoundry’s Zero Trust solution offers adaptive security for today’s evolving API challenges.
Zero Trust Protection
Solution Overview
NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution is purpose-built to secure B2B APIs by removing their exposure to the internet entirely. Rather than relying on VPNs, firewalls, or other traditional security tools, NetFoundry’s solution leverages a software-based overlay network to create private, secure connectivity. This Zero Trust approach ensures that only authorized and authenticated endpoints can access APIs, shielding them from potential attackers.
Key Components:
- Dedicated Software-Based Overlay Network: NetFoundry’s overlay network privatizes API traffic without the need for a traditional private network, hiding APIs from the public internet.
- Embedded Ziti Architecture: The Ziti framework, embedded in NetFoundry’s solution, enables zero trust by allowing only pre-authorized entities to access APIs. Ziti prevents unauthorized access and hides API endpoints from potential attackers.
- End-to-End Encryption: All API data is encrypted in transit, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure from interception or tampering. NetFoundry employs end-to-end encryption using mutual TLS (mTLS) to secure data transmitted across its network. This ensures that data is encrypted at the source, securely transmitted, and decrypted only at the destination, maintaining confidentiality and integrity throughout the communication process.
- Centralized Control and Compliance: NetFoundry’s management interface, NetFoundry Console, provides administrators with centralized control, making it easier to enforce compliance, manage access, and monitor API activity.
Technical Details
Dedicated Overlay Network
At the heart of NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution is a software-based overlay network. This network operates independently of the public internet, meaning that APIs are not visible or accessible to unauthorized users. The overlay network routes traffic directly from authenticated endpoints to the API, ensuring secure data exchange.
Ziti Architecture
Ziti is an open-source framework, OpenZiti, that integrates zero trust security directly into the connectivity layer. By embedding Ziti in NetFoundry’s solution, APIs become invisible to the internet. Access is granted only to devices and users authenticated through the network, effectively “darkening” the API from potential attackers.
End-to-End Encryption
Every packet of data within the overlay network is encrypted, making it nearly impossible for attackers to intercept or alter the information. This encryption is applied automatically, requiring minimal configuration.
Granular Access Control
The centralized control interface enables administrators to define access policies at a granular level, allowing only specific users or applications to access certain APIs. This reduces the attack surface and enforces compliance with regulatory standards.
Invisible API Security
Benefits and Advantages
NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution provides significant advantages over traditional approaches:
Improved Security
By removing APIs from public exposure, NetFoundry dramatically reduces the likelihood of an API being targeted in an attack.
Scalability
The software-based nature of the overlay network allows organizations to scale API access as needed without the limitations of physical infrastructure.
Reduced Complexity
This solution eliminates the need for VPNs, firewalls, and other complex configurations. With centralized management, IT teams can control API access without extensive configuration or monitoring.
Cost Efficiency
Lower operational complexity translates into reduced costs for organizations, as fewer resources are required to maintain API security.
Compared to traditional VPN or firewall solutions, NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API approach delivers more robust security and operational simplicity, making it ideal for modern business environments.
Easy Deployment
Implementation Considerations
To deploy NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution, businesses should be aware of the following:
- System Prerequisites: Compatible with most network and application environments, the overlay network can be deployed quickly, requiring minimal hardware.
- Integration Steps: The solution integrates seamlessly with existing APIs, allowing businesses to implement Zero Trust without extensive reconfiguration.
- Challenges and Mitigations: While Zero Trust may be a new approach for some teams, NetFoundry provides resources and support for quick adoption and training.
Zero Trust API Security
The rapid adoption of APIs in various industries underscores the need for robust API security that traditional methods cannot provide. NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution offers a transformative approach by removing APIs from internet exposure, privatizing access through an overlay network, and embedding zero trust principles. By protecting APIs without compromising performance, NetFoundry empowers businesses to operate securely, efficiently, and in compliance with industry standards. Organizations ready to enhance their API security should consider exploring NetFoundry’s solution for a scalable, cost-effective path to zero trust.
Transform API Security
FAQs
- Can NetFoundry’s Zero Trust API solution work alongside existing security protocols? Yes, it can complement existing protocols, offering an additional layer of security without requiring changes to current configurations or changes to the underlay network.
- What is required to scale the network as API demand grows? NetFoundry’s solution is inherently scalable due to its software-defined nature, allowing businesses to expand API access without costly hardware upgrades. The NetFoundry Cloud offers an Internet-overlay network using over 150 Points of Presence around the world.
- How does NetFoundry’s solution support compliance requirements?
NetFoundry’s centralized control allows businesses to enforce granular access policies, making it easier to meet regulatory standards and audit requirements. - What impact does the Zero Trust API solution have on performance?
NetFoundry’s solution is designed for low latency and high performance, ensuring secure connections without compromising speed or user experience. - What type of encryption does NetFoundry use? NetFoundry employs end-to-end encryption using mutual TLS (mTLS) to secure data transmitted across its network. This ensures that data is encrypted at the source, securely transmitted, and decrypted only at the destination, maintaining confidentiality and integrity throughout the communication process.
- How does NetFoundry’s solution differ from traditional VPNs? NetFoundry’s solution privatizes API traffic through an overlay network, eliminating the need for VPNs, which can introduce vulnerabilities and complexity.
