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Guide · Cybersecurity

Check If Your API Is Secure Online

A practical checklist to verify your API is secure—rate limiting, auth, keys in backend—then confirm with gated assessment.

Use this checklist against Authentication, Secrets, and abuse ceilings—not as a substitute for APRF gates. Primary control: Authentication

Hygiene first, then gated evidence

"Is my API secure?" starts with boring controls: HTTPS everywhere, auth on sensitive routes, keys only on the server, rate limits, input validation, spend alerts. Before an enterprise pilot, one team found a legacy hostname without HTTPS redirects and a public search route with no per-IP throttle—afternoon fixes unblocked the security questionnaire.

Walk the surface in one afternoon

1. Force TLS; kill plain HTTP.

2. Require API keys or OAuth where data matters.

3. Cap per IP/key (~100–500/min to start).

4. Keep third-party keys behind a backend proxy.

5. Validate inputs; reject garbage early.

6. Alert on spend and abuse-shaped traffic.

7. When you want pass/fail, run APRF Core Profile—not a vanity readiness percentage.

Cloudflare, API Gateway, and a short checklist beat a vague "we'll harden later."

Security posture vs score cosplay

APRF Assessment and Authentication pillars care about blockers you can fix. Use this page to find gaps; use Core Profile when a buyer wants gated confirmation.

Next: Authentication

Open the related pillar specification for mandatory checks, artifacts, and pass conditions. Self-attest is optional.

View AuthenticationSelf-attest

Related

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if my API is secure?
Use a checklist: rate limiting, keys in backend, HTTPS, auth for sensitive endpoints, input validation, billing alerts. Confirm blockers with the free APRF Core Profile assessment.
What is the most important API security check?
Rate limiting. It's the fastest way to prevent abuse. Then: keys in backend, auth, HTTPS, and billing alerts.
Is there a free API security checklist?
Yes—this guide. For gated pass/fail across production controls, run Core Profile at /aprf/assess/.