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- “Compromised APIs: When Integration Becomes Infection”
“Compromised APIs: When Integration Becomes Infection”
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Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.
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APIs Are the New Perimeter — and Often the Weakest
As businesses connect via APIs, they expose sensitive logic and data flows. Many lack proper rate limits, auth checks, or input validation. Attackers skip the front door and walk through integrations.
Token Theft Grants Long-Term, Silent Access
API keys and OAuth tokens often live in code, repos, or logs. Once stolen, they grant silent access — no user interaction required. Unlike passwords, tokens rarely expire or alert on use.
Excessive Permissions Expose More Than Necessary
APIs often return too much data — entire objects when only one field is needed. Attackers abuse this overexposure to scrape sensitive info. The principle of least privilege applies to APIs too.
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Third-Party APIs Bring External Risk Inside
APIs used for payments, analytics, or AI can be compromised upstream. A breach at your provider is now your problem. API supply chain risk is real — and often overlooked.
Logging and Monitoring APIs Is Still Immature
Few orgs have full observability into API usage. Logs may miss failed calls, unauthorized queries, or abuse patterns. Attackers exploit invisibility as much as vulnerability.
Secure by Design Beats Secure by Patch
Rushed APIs ship without threat modeling or abuse case review. Fixes come after incidents. Security must be part of the API design process — not a post-launch add-on.
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